Visitors, Thai and foreign, are heading up to the Royal Agricultural Station Ang Khang in Fang District, where they are enjoying a similar experience to the famed Japanese cherry blossoms season…without having to travel all the way to Japan.
These cherry blossoms are the result of research conducted by the Royal Project Foundation, which first introduced Japanese sakura saplings for experimental cultivation in 1997. The planting was later expanded in 2008 with cherry blossom varieties from Taiwan, which are more resilient to Thailand’s climate.
The station is home to several thousand foreign cherry blossom trees, including the Okinawa variety with deep pink flowers, the rare Yoshino variety with pale pink to almost white blooms, and Taiwanese cherry blossoms known for their vivid dark pink colour. Popular viewing spots include the roadside near the flower greenhouses, where arching branches form a tunnel of blossoms, as well as the 72nd Birthday Commemorative Garden, which features large, mature mother trees. In a decade, this should be a spectacular sight indeed!
Many areas are now in peak bloom and are expected to remain at their most scenic for approximately another 10 days, with viewing possible through the end of January—hurry! The Japanese and Taiwanese cherry blossoms at Ang Khang are distinct from Nang Phaya Suea Krong, a native Thai species found at Doi Chang Khian. These foreign sakura varieties form part of ongoing research and development of temperate-climate plants at the Royal Agricultural Station Ang Khang.
The station was established in 1969 under the royal initiative of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) to improve the quality of life of highland communities, reduce opium cultivation, and restore watershed forests—principles that continue to underpin sustainable highland development to this day.
