ArthurPewty Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 I often listen to podcasts done by Brian Dunning of Skeptoid. Each week he looks at myths and nonsense that is accepted and promoted in mainstream media. Last week he did an investigation of the Naga Fireballs that can be seen in the north or Thailand and came to the conclusion they are all faked. I think I am safe in saying that river monsters are out of the question, but he went on to show how they are tracer rounds from guns. Listen or read for yourelves here: http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4183 I have never seen either and I have never been to the festival. I am just curious if anybody has and what did they see. Arthur. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apetley Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 I had a friend who saw the fireballs a few years ago. He said that what he saw was obviously fireworks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBQueen Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 A bit late. Usually in October. They follow the lunar calendar, and yes, the fireballs are real. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammai Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 I was in Phom Phisai this year to see the naga fireballs and can honestly say im still not convinced by any articles that claim for it to be real or fake, I was lucky to see one of the fireballs and can say it looked like no other firework that i had seen before. The fireball/firework what ever you want to call it rose out of the middle of the river and slowly rose upwards for about 50 yards then arched back into the river. Now the article claims that it was just some soldiers in Laos setting off fireworks which does not convince me at all as there were plenty or fireworks been set off at that side of the river with plenty or oos and aars on the Thai side but what i saw with my eyes was much closer than those fireworks and visably different. I think this will still be a mystery for many years to come and felt lucky to see one of the fireballs as when asking many people the next day there were no more than five all night. Real or a hoax makes no difference to me as i really enjoyed a couple of days there and would recommend anyone to go visit if your in the Nong Khai province that time of the year. hope to hear other views on this from first hand sightings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maizefarmer Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 Been there done that ............... I think the consensus now is that it's a hoax (fireworks designed to burn underwater) - but it's well done and a lot of folk belive it's supernatural - all sorts of spirit stories have grown up around the event. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ijustwannateach Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 Was there a few years ago- fireworks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stricken Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 I had a friend who saw the fireballs a few years ago. He said that what he saw was obviously fireworks. Maybe just peeking on a LSD trip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBQueen Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 These fireballs are in temple records from a few hundred years ago. You reckon they had the tech to do underwater stuff back then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LomSak27 Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 These fireballs are in temple records from a few hundred years ago. You reckon they had the tech to do underwater stuff back then? I'm sure they are in murals but that does not in any way indicate they were (or are) real ... I know an engineer who worked in Nongkai in the early 1980's, and who spoke thai fluently. No one in the 3 years he was there ever mentioned them or suggested going down to the river to look at them. According to him they did not exist in the 1980's Perhaps the fireballs come and go when the locals sense it is an auspicious moment in time, a planetary conjunction of sorts and the gullible, uh er, the pilgrims, or tourists will buy it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SomdetK Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 I've seen them and they are definitely not fireworks. There are no "tails" emanating from these round spheres. They are not tracer ammunition either as most are silent and most come originate just above the water. I don't know what they are, but I know what they are not. They are not fireworks nor tracer ammunition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LennyW Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Cant remember where, but i heard that it was something to do with decaying vegetation on the river bed releasing methane gas from time to time, dont know if any truth in that but seems fairly logical??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArthurPewty Posted December 17, 2009 Author Share Posted December 17, 2009 To those people who say they are "real". I presume you are not claiming a giant water god spits them out, or are you? As for rotting vegetation, I think the article that I have included deals with that. To add yet more fuel to the fire (pun intended) there is nothing to speak off. I would imagine that such an event would prompt scores of videos. Is there anything else like them in the world? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latindancer Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Yes....in Australia we have the Min Min lights. And I am sure there are similar lights in other countries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonrakers Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 St. Elmo's fire: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Elmo's_fire Will-o'-the-wisp: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will-o'-the-wisp Ball lightning: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ball_lightning It could be a hoax but if it was then I think that somebody would have discovered the hoax by now, in reality it could be so difficult to pull off then it is more likely to be a natural phenomena. It can happen all year round and just because a few superstitious people say it comes from a dragon doesn't mean that the actual event isn't real. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apetley Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 The commentary calls these fireballs. Looks really like tracer or fireworks to me. Isn't it just a tiny little bit suspicious that these so called natural phenomena occur exactly at the time and site of an organised event to see them? Truly amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maizefarmer Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 These fireballs are in temple records from a few hundred years ago. You reckon they had the tech to do underwater stuff back then? The Chinese had the ability to do this a thousand years ago ....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArthurPewty Posted December 21, 2009 Author Share Posted December 21, 2009 St. Elmo's fire: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Elmo's_fireWill-o'-the-wisp: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will-o'-the-wisp Ball lightning: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ball_lightning It could be a hoax but if it was then I think that somebody would have discovered the hoax by now, in reality it could be so difficult to pull off then it is more likely to be a natural phenomena. It can happen all year round and just because a few superstitious people say it comes from a dragon doesn't mean that the actual event isn't real. Well if you read/listen to the link I added to my OP, it does say a film crew saw Laos soldiers firing tracer rounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LazyYogi Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 I saw them in 2003. They didn't look like any kind of fireworks to me. So I'm still in the "unexplained phenomena" camp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LazyYogi Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 The commentary calls these fireballs. Looks really like tracer or fireworks to me. Isn't it just a tiny little bit suspicious that these so called natural phenomena occur exactly at the time and site of an organised event to see them? Truly amazing. The timing corresponds with the full moon that marks the end of the Buddhist rains retreat. So the story goes that the nagas of the river are in the habit of annually celebrating the end of the retreat. And then naturally the people organized the yearly festival to watch them, the timing of which can easily be predicted by the date of the full moon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonrakers Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 St. Elmo's fire: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Elmo's_fireWill-o'-the-wisp: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will-o'-the-wisp Ball lightning: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ball_lightning It could be a hoax but if it was then I think that somebody would have discovered the hoax by now, in reality it could be so difficult to pull off then it is more likely to be a natural phenomena. It can happen all year round and just because a few superstitious people say it comes from a dragon doesn't mean that the actual event isn't real. Well if you read/listen to the link I added to my OP, it does say a film crew saw Laos soldiers firing tracer rounds. So, a film crew saw Laos soldiers firing tracer rounds well enough to identify that it was Laos soldiers who were doing it yet they didn't think to film them doing it. Maybe they left there camera equipment at the hotel, eh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mauGR1 Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 It was rather painful at 6 to realize that Father Christmas did not exist. It would be more painful at 49 if to realize that the "Naga fireballs" are fake. It simply cannot be a hoax Last year i tried to argue with a Thai lady about the fireballs being a natural phenomenon,but not from Nagas,she was angry with me. Bit off topic,i guess many of you have seen the famous pic with the American soldiers holding that huge,dead Naga. Do you think it's real? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apetley Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 It was rather painful at 6 to realize that Father Christmas did not exist.It would be more painful at 49 if to realize that the "Naga fireballs" are fake. It simply cannot be a hoax Last year i tried to argue with a Thai lady about the fireballs being a natural phenomenon,but not from Nagas,she was angry with me. Bit off topic,i guess many of you have seen the famous pic with the American soldiers holding that huge,dead Naga. Do you think it's real? Is that the picture of the Americans in Khoa Yai? If so that was an Oarfish which can grow up to 11 metres in length and is found, although not often, in tropical waters worldwide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apetley Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 (edited) . Edited December 22, 2009 by apetley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mauGR1 Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 It was rather painful at 6 to realize that Father Christmas did not exist.It would be more painful at 49 if to realize that the "Naga fireballs" are fake. It simply cannot be a hoax Last year i tried to argue with a Thai lady about the fireballs being a natural phenomenon,but not from Nagas,she was angry with me. Bit off topic,i guess many of you have seen the famous pic with the American soldiers holding that huge,dead Naga. Do you think it's real? Is that the picture of the Americans in Khoa Yai? If so that was an Oarfish which can grow up to 11 metres in length and is found, although not often, in tropical waters worldwide. Thanks apetley,i did a quick google search,you are right. Btw,it's said the oarfish in the pic,which you can see in many tourist spot in LoS,has been caught in California(?) I was assuming it was taken on the MaeKhong River during the Vietnam war.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAJIC Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 I had a friend who saw the fireballs a few years ago. He said that what he saw was obviously fireworks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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