Which yellow flower is commonly associated with Thailand’s Songkran celebrations?
Answer
Golden shower tree
The golden shower tree is the yellow flower commonly associated with Thailand’s Songkran celebrations.
Known in Thai as dok khun, the golden shower tree produces hanging clusters of bright yellow flowers. Its blooming period often coincides with Thailand’s hot-season New Year festival in April, making it a familiar seasonal symbol.
The tree’s scientific name is Cassia fistula, and it is also called the Indian laburnum or purging cassia. Thailand values it culturally beyond Songkran: the flower is associated with prosperity, good fortune, and the country’s national color, yellow.
The golden shower tree should not be confused with lotus or jasmine. Those flowers also have important cultural and religious roles in Thailand, but dok khun is the flower most specifically linked with the Songkran season.