Koksathon Community Based Tourism Association

Kok Sathon is a farming village in Dan Sai district of Loei, sitting below Phu Lom Lo on the Loei-Phetchabun border, and its Community Based Tourism Association is one of the more genuinely functional CBT operations in the region — not just a name on a tourism directory. The Koksathon Community Based Tourism Association (contactable via Facebook at phulomlo.koksathon) coordinates two distinct things: year-round village-based agricultural tourism, and — the reason most visitors find it — transport up to Phu Lom Lo during the wild Himalayan cherry blossom season each January and February.

The cherry blossom run is the association’s busiest work: villagers operate pickup trucks along the steep 4WD-only track from Kok Sathon up to the Phu Lom Lo viewpoint, at roughly 1,500 THB per truck for up to ten passengers, running from as early as 4 AM through mid-afternoon during peak bloom. Independent driving up isn’t really an option for most rental cars — the route requires a proper 4WD and local knowledge of the track, which is exactly what the association’s trucks provide.

Outside the two-month bloom window, the association’s work shifts to the village itself. Kok Sathon’s main livelihood is agriculture — rice, dragon fruit, passion fruit, and ginger, with the area ranking among Thailand’s larger ginger-growing regions — and visits centre on farm walks through those fields, traditional weaving demonstrations, and shared meals cooked with whatever’s been harvested that morning.

Insider Tip: If cherry blossoms are the goal, book your truck a day or two ahead through the association’s Facebook page rather than showing up in Dan Sai and hoping to arrange it on the spot — trucks fill up fast during the January-February peak, particularly on weekends.

Watch out: There’s no public transport to Kok Sathon village itself, and the Phu Lom Lo track isn’t drivable in an ordinary rental car — you need the association’s 4WD trucks or your own 4WD vehicle for that final stretch.

Pair a visit with Phu Lom Lo itself during bloom season, or with Dan Sai’s other cultural sites — Phra That Si Song Rak and the Phi Ta Khon Museum, both within the same district — if you’re timing a visit around the Phi Ta Khon festival or just exploring Loei’s Dan Sai corridor more broadly.