Fireballs in the river

[kwiz117]

I am not sure whether what I am saying here true or not.

This is what I have heard.

"In Thailand, there is a River bordering Burma where it releases “Fireballs” to the sky once in every year"

I also heard many tourists visit Thailand to see it and many have to go back without seeing anything due to the bad Traffic in that area.

Has anyone seen this?

???

[Guest IT Manager]

do a search for NAGA lights on the Mekhong at Nong Khai, bordering Laos, not Burma, at the particular point.

[kwiz117]

Thanks IT..This is what I found.

"Fire Rockets  - on a night at the end of October, which has significance on the Buddhist calendar, people from around Thailand come to watch the river at night at Phon Phisai and other locations near Nong Khai to see the unexplained phenomenon of rockets blasting into the air from beneath the river's surface. The king of the Nagas is held to be responsible for the display. The Nagas are the mythical creatures of the Mekong."  

I am very much interested to know whether anyone  really witnessed this.

[foolwholaughsatdeath]

I have not seen it myself, but I have talked to Thais who have.  There was a great movie that came out last year called "Full Moon Party" (english title) that was a comedy based on the phenomenon.  The story revolved around different groups of people (monks, Discovery Channel, Thai scientists) trying to explain how the fireballs worked.  Very funny movie, but it also seriously addressed different the different theories attempting to explain it.  Highly reccommend it.  I saw at MBK in the theater, but I'm pretty sure you could find it on VCD somewhere too.

[taxexile]

these fireballs have been seen by every thai in the land.

employees of the tourist authority of thailand see them every year, as do the local hotel owners.

no foriegner has ever,nor ever will,see them.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Is it a franchise operation run by our old pal Bud ? It sounds like a Bud thing to do. If he's met up with the love of his life already there'll be all sorts of fire going on right now.    

[kwiz117]

This was from Bangkok Post today.

Hope someone in this forum already gone to see this.

NAGA FIREBALLS

Timing still a mystery for scientists

Almost all elements explicable, they say

Ranjana Wangvipula

Science Minister Pinit Charusombat will lead a ``propitiation'' ceremony tomorrow to pay respect to King Naga, even as research says mythology is unlikely to play a part in the annual fireball display.

In a new report, scientists studying the phenomenon say the Naga ``fireballs'' result from gases released in a complex biological process.

But the report comes with an interesting twist; they can't say why the fireballs are released only at this time of the year, on the full moon night of the 11th lunar month.

Almost all the hotels and resorts in the northeastern province of Nong Khai, where balls of light will emerge from part of the Mekong river, are booked for the event.

Thousands of people nationwide flock to the riverside to witness the mysterious phenomenon, likely to occur tomorrow.

Many villagers in Nong Khai believe the balls come from Naga, the legendary serpent god.

``These two ideas should be taken into account,'' said Mr Pinit when asked to comment on his role as a science administrator who will lead the sacred celebration.

The minister yesterday listened to a research team of 20, appointed last year, outline their study into the causes of the phenomenon.

They said the fireballs were sparked by gases, microbes, and energy.

``We are nearly 100% confident that it is a natural phenomenon,'' said Saksit Tridech, deputy permanent secretary of the Science and Technology Ministry, who led the research team.

Last year, local villagers were enraged after the media linked the fireballs to tracer bullets fired into the air by Laotian soldiers, stationed at the border on the opposite side of the Mekong river.

But the study showed that ``all scientific elements essential to cause the phenomenon are present,'' said research member and Mahidol University geologist Prinya Putthapiban.

Methane and phosphine, a mix of phosphorus and hydrogen, were found in waterways near the Mekong.

These gaseous substances were believed to cause the fiery balls, researchers said, though they were not sure exactly how or why they occur.

Plant and animal remains release methane as they break down which probably combines with chemical fertiliser, containing phosphorus nutrient, used on farms in the area, to cause the fireballs.

The soil in the riverbed is rich with the element.

However, the occurrence of crimson balls also required energy and microbes, which researchers cannot explain.

``A scientific reaction such as this must occur in a very specific way to cause the phenomenon,'' said Mahidol chemist Waret Veerasai, admitting knowledge on chemical reactions in the water and soil was limited.

Mr Saksit called inexplicable aspects of the display a miraculous event while Mr Pinit predicted the study would cause him more headaches.

He still did not know why the fireballs tended to emerge only on the full moon night of the 11th lunar month every year.

[taxexile]

scientists studying the phenomenon say the Naga ``fireballs'' result from gases released in a complex biological process.

this is the hot air exhaled in vast quantities at this time of the year from the mouths of tourist promotion officials and local entrepreneurs as they salivate at the thought of making a killing from the event,

and good luck to them.

Almost all the hotels and resorts in the northeastern province of Nong Khai, where balls of light will emerge from part of the Mekong river, are booked for the event.

[Guest IT Manager]

these fireballs have been seen by every thai in the land.

As usual, total rubbish. 2 Beers and you are anybodys'. My son is Thai and he missed them.

[george]

Antother article about the fire balls from todays newsfeed from AFP

Geology not serpent behind Naga's Fireballs: scientists

A famous fireball phenomenon that occurs every year in the Mekong River in Thailand's north is probably naturally occurring and not faked, scientists say on the eve of this year's event.

On the first full-moon of the 11th lunar month, which coincides with the end of Buddhist Lent, hundreds of red, pink and orange fireballs the size of eggs soar up into the sky from the Mekong, drawing huge crowds of spectators.

'Naga's Fireballs', which has been reported by locals for generations, has long mystified scientists.

The Ministry of Science and Technology ordered a probe into the phenomenon earlier this year after claims by a television program that the fireballs were actually caused by tracer bullets fired by Laotian soldiers across the border, causing an uproar among locals.

Researchers led by Saksit Tridech, the deputy permanent secretary of the ministry, say that the team has studied soil and water samples from the area where the fireballs appear to originate.

They have found monsoonal floods in the area triggered a complex geological process.

"When the complex biogeochemical process occurs at the appropriate time, it could cause several unusual phenomena," Mr Saksit said.

"The primary initial finding is that chemical and physical factors in the river's environment and in the area are likely to be the main cause of a natural incident."

However, he says another year of research would be necessary to prove the theory.

Legend says the flames come from a mythical Naga, or serpent, living in the Mekong river.

The event has become a major tourist attraction and revenue-raiser for the region near the best viewing spot, in Phon Phisai district.

Last year more than 100,000 tourists flocked to witness the event, and several hotels in the area say they are booked out for Friday's event.

-- AFP 2003-10-09

[Mackerel]

Did anyone see this on the news?

I saw some very uniform displays, hardly looked natural to me. Some of the flares had 'tails' a little like regular fireworks, they seemed to be fairly close, perhaps a small boat, I wonder.. The distant and coloured flares looked very much like tracer rounds, fired into the air. Methane gas? I don't think that travels upwards, hundreds of feet a second.

[Heng]

these fireballs have been seen by every thai in the land.

employees of the tourist authority of thailand see them every year, as do the local hotel owners.

no foriegner has ever,nor ever will,see them.</font>

I've seen them on television. I find it hard to believe they are real as I think there would a bit more worldwide attention to this phenomenon if it were real.

As an aside, I'd be just as happy if they scrapped the TAT and limited all tourist and foreign visits to 30 days period or perhaps allow day, week, and month passes like Disneyland. It'd help to get rid of the undesireables who attempt to make a living here.

Edit: removed invalid font colour BB code.

Edited December 6, 2004 by RDN

[frequentatore]

To detect methane gas: http://www.talkingpresents.com/productpage...t_detector.html

[Maigo6]

these fireballs have been seen by every thai in the land.

employees of the tourist authority of thailand see them every year, as do the local hotel owners.

no foriegner has ever,nor ever will,see them.

I've seen them on television. I find it hard to believe they are real as I think there would a bit more worldwide attention to this phenomenon if it were real.

As an aside, I'd be just as happy if they scrapped the TAT and limited all tourist and foreign visits to 30 days period or perhaps allow day, week, and month passes like Disneyland. It'd help to get rid of the undesireables who attempt to make a living here.

<font color='#000000'>Huh?

Edit: removed invalid font colour BB code.

Edited December 6, 2004 by RDN

[Pete Free]

If one sits in the cafes on the Mekhong River bank and patiently watches the water surface (end of December e.g.), one can actually see in broad daylight round large shapes permanently forming in the water which contain a surface of bursting gas bubbles - this is the gas being released by the - meanwhile well established - biological processes within the water. I even took photographes of this and can pinpoint the place.

So the only mysterious thing remaining is the question, why these gas releases obviously don´t illuminate regularly - for this effect there seems to be a certain conditioning of the environment necessary, e.g. temperature, static electricity distribution, ionization of the air plus the sort of not yet understood scientific effects which also in Europe are known to be linked with the lunar periods - basically conditions which might only be present to a certain point at the time when these phenomenons have been spotted so far. So, while in this season a statistical peak might appear, this does not exclude that these events don`t take place at other times too - it´s only less frequent and less probable. The thing is, that there just nobody hangs out to watch - the surveillance is 100% only at the time of the public events.

So to me, this phenomenon is just a mix between not yet completely researched conditions and circumstances of "ignition" of a continously emerging natural gas and a prejudiced unorderly unscientific "observer".

Besides, what keeps Thai people, who believe in natural religions - seperately from Buddhism - from linking the fireballs to this domain, especially when it can be used commercially.

Let the Scots have their Nessie and the Thais their Naga - does anyone see a link ?

[Heng]

these fireballs have been seen by every thai in the land.

employees of the tourist authority of thailand see them every year, as do the local hotel owners.

no foriegner has ever,nor ever will,see them.

I've seen them on television. I find it hard to believe they are real as I think there would a bit more worldwide attention to this phenomenon if it were real.

As an aside, I'd be just as happy if they scrapped the TAT and limited all tourist and foreign visits to 30 days period or perhaps allow day, week, and month passes like Disneyland. It'd help to get rid of the undesireables who attempt to make a living here.

Huh?

The suggestion by the previous poster was that the Naga fireball phenomenon is somehow a conspiracy/promotional tool that all or many Thais are involved in. I was making a post that demonstrates that at least some Thais are certainly not all in favor of tourism promotion (including both real and fictional tools).

The Blair Witch Project wasn't real either. I'm sure the makers felt really silly laughing their way to the bank.

Huh?

:laugh:

Edit: removed invalid font colour BB code

Edited December 6, 2004 by RDN

[bkkmadness]

these fireballs have been seen by every thai in the land.

employees of the tourist authority of thailand see them every year, as do the local hotel owners.

no foriegner has ever,nor ever will,see them.

I went there last year and saw them and I am a foreigner.  They are pretty difficult to explain, but they shoot up from all over the river, so close sometimes you can see them come up directly from the water.  Definately not a man made scam, definately not a thai made tourist trick.  I did meet a guy whos wife lived up there for sometime and he told me they occur at other times in the year as well, but not as often and not on any definate date.  I would reccomend anyone to go see them though as it's one of the best things I have seen in Thailand.

[tomy]

there's a religious believed that buddha ated tom-yam-koong and fart out fire, many people believe in this rumor, but don't look at me, i don't know nothing    

[Kan Win]

there's a religious believed that buddha ated tom-yam-koong and fart out fire, many people believe in this rumor, but don't look at me, i don't know nothing   

Now you are really writing out of your "A"

Leave religion out of this thread........ Please........ Krap…..

Edit: removed invalid font colour BB code

Edited December 6, 2004 by RDN

[tomy]

im asian, and im a none religious believe, man of science, cause and effect...i don't believe in religious crap.

[Cha Minnow]

I've heard multiple times that it is superbly offensive to Thai's if you speak badly of the Buddha, or try to export an image of the Buddha. I second Kan Win's opinion. Best to leave those types of comedic anticdotes out of the forum.

"Whem in Rome, do as the Romans do." ???

Best,

Iced Lime Tea

[Mighty Mouse]

I went off in search of these fireballs and followed a dirt trail which ran down the side of rocky outcrop.

Upon reaching the river, I could hear what sounded like a piano. I wasn't quite sure as the noise of the flowing river water was rather loud and drowned out the musical tinkling sound.

I walked around for a while until this melodic piano sound became a little louder. I followed the sound.

It led me through some thick undergrowth until I came out into a clearing. Here the musical notes were coming to me loud and clear.

Then I saw it in the shade of a huge tree. A large black piano with a falang sitting at the keyboards. He had long, blonde, flowing, wavy hair and he was pointing at some bright fireballs out on the river and singing.........

"YOU SHAKE MY NERVES AND YOU RATTLE MY BRAIN. TOO MUCH OF LOVE DRIVES A MAN INSANE. YOU BROKE MY WILL, OOOH WHAT A THRILL...(all together now!) GOODNESS, GRACIOUS, GREAT BALLS OF FIRE....."

Many thanks to the old rocker, Mr Jerry Lee Lewis. Take a bow, Jerry.

[Skywise]

these fireballs have been seen by every thai in the land.

employees of the tourist authority of thailand see them every year, as do the local hotel owners.

no foriegner has ever,nor ever will,see them.

Untrue. I witnessed these 'fireballs' while staying with my wife in Nong Khai in 1994 We joined a crowd which had gathered along the bank of the Mekong river for the new year I saw no fewer than 6 fireballs, which shot about 50ft into the air. Unable to explain the source, although when I suggested to my wife that maybe someone on a boat was lighting fireworks, she objected. It was strange but wonderful.

Edit: removed invalid font colour BB code

Edited December 6, 2004 by RDN

[Heng]

When I saw it on TV, all they showed was the fireball going straight up (as if shot from gun... like a .50 cal)... and nothing came back down.  

In person, did the fireballs have an arc like trajectory?  Did they burn out like fireworks starbursts?    

???  

[Membrane]

I guess this is ball lightning??  Here's an article on it, with a rare photo of one:

Ball lightning baffles scientists

[Skywise]

Heng,

No the fireballs did not arc...they shot upward as if from a 'gun' then fizzled out quickly after about 50ft.  I did not notice any smoke or 'tail' which might have meant that it was somehow launched from a small boat.  The display  occurred  in semi-rapid succession sorta like, 1, 2...3.......4.

[kwiz117]

there's a religious believed that buddha ated tom-yam-koong and fart out fire, many people believe in this rumor, but don't look at me, i don't know nothing   

there's a believe that guys like you fart out from the mouth and eat from the A** coz you don't know nothing..

many people believe in this rumor, but don't look at me, i think it is true

Edit: removed invalid font colour BB code.

Edited December 6, 2004 by RDN

[Edward B]

Kwiz - that's the funniest thing I've ever heard you say.

ps. Don't know nothing = There's nothing you don't know = You know everything.

You know?

[kwiz117]

Kwiz - that's the funniest thing I've ever heard you say.

ps. Don't know nothing = There's nothing you don't know = You know everything.

You know?

Yes, for this i***t, he can apply anything he wish.

I am mad at him for insulting Thai People and Buddhism.

Edit: removed invalid font colour BB code.

Edited December 6, 2004 by RDN

[tomy]

kwiz117 why you gotta pick on me like that, i was playing around, anyway like you know any better, if you acttually belive what i said, you must be on crack buddy.

insulting Thai People and Buddhism

im asian and i don't worship any god, so you have to take the buddhism out, as for thai people love them man! and who are you to say its insulting or not, don't act up, just enjoy the joke