When Thailand Gave Me an Unexpected Autumn

These photos were taken on March 7, 2025.

I was driving through a small Thai village when I noticed a tree that made me slow down. Thailand is incredibly rich in vegetation, and it still manages to surprise me. At that time I had been holding a camera for only three months. Looking at these images now, I’m not very happy with them. And I’m pretty sure that a year from now I’ll look at my current shots the same way. That’s just how I am — always chasing something better.

But back to the tree.

The reason I stopped was the color. It instantly reminded me of autumn in Russia. I always leave for Thailand at the end of summer, so I haven’t really seen a proper autumn in four years. Bright yellow flowers were covering the ground beneath the tree like a thick carpet, and for a moment it felt like fallen leaves in a quiet park somewhere back home.

The tree turned out to be Cassia fistula, known in Thailand as Ratchaphruek 🌼 — the national tree of the country. It blooms during the hottest time of the year, usually from March to May, when many other trees stand almost bare. And then this one explodes into a cascade of yellow, like a living waterfall made of light.

When the flowering ends, long dark seed pods appear. They can hang from the branches for months, adding another graphic layer to the silhouette of the tree.

In Thailand, Ratchaphruek symbolizes prosperity and good fortune. The yellow color is associated with Monday — the birthday of King Rama IX — which is one of the reasons these trees are planted everywhere: along roads, near temples, in parks, and in village streets like the one where I found it.

The hanging clusters of blossoms really do look like a “golden shower,” which is the English name for the tree. But for me, that day, it was simply autumn — unexpected, warm, and slightly nostalgic.

March is coming again, which means the tree will soon be in bloom. This time I plan to find it deliberately and photograph it differently — with the knowledge and experience I’ve gained since then. It’s interesting how trees stay the same, but the person behind the camera changes.

Thank you for liking and commenting on my posts. It truly means a lot.

I write my texts myself, correct mistakes and translate via ChatGPT (which is not a violation on Hive)! All photos were taken by me personally - I am a beginner photographer, so I ask professionals not to judge strictly.

Thank you for sharing these moments with me! Until new stories and new holidays! ✌️.

Camera 📷: Sony Alpha 7 IV full-frame
Lens 🔭: Sony FE 70-200mm F: 2.8 GM OSS II
Lens 🔭: Sony FE 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS
Lens 🔭: Sony FE 24–70mm f/2.8 GM II
Processed 🛠: Lightroom

photo by openai