Great Balls Of Fire, NONG KHAI Naga fireballs

[katastrophic]

There seems to be plenty of post regarding the Naga fireballs, but has anyone on TV seen them? Most posts seem sceptical or sarcastic and I can understand why. As they apparently occur every year, and 10s of 1000s of people have supposedly seen them, it seems incredible that I have only managed to find two photos (black with two white dots, not very convincing) on the internet. Why is there no video footage or decent photos to back up the sightings? Does anyone have any photos or clips they can post, or send a link to some pictures? I personally can accept their existance, but I'd love to see some proof, albeit photographic.

[sriracha john]

no photographs... but....

from the thread:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...40063&st=60

As a witness to the event, I can add my own personal take. First, definitely not tracer rounds. I have a lot of experience with firearms and these are NOT tracer rounds. Secondly, as proposed by the movie of a diver releasing chemical compound balls; no way. I did however enjoy the movie... particularly the clarity showing the swimmer underwater in the Mekhong. As someone who has swam in it, it is definitely has a visibility of about 3 inches...Various gasses released? Doubtful they would do so with such regularity. Too many variables in Nature for it occur so regularly. Conclusion?... who knows... by process of elimination, Naga is the most plausible I've heard.

Well worth a trip to witness and draw your own conclusions.

The "rent-a-hotel-room-in-Nong Khai-and-rent-a-motorbike-to-ride-to-the-site" route that I took went very well I thought.

Car traffic is EXTREMELY heavy where I went with a reported 20,000 people attending. Still took some time to get back, but at least 10 times faster than the line of cars I passed.

The number of fireballs I witnessed was around 20, although the "official" count (conducted by local volunteers and walkie-talkie radioed every few minutes when they are occuring to a central command post), was around 80. Granted also, though, that I admit to missing some as many are very quick and illuminated only briefly, and if you are looking in an opposite direction downriver at the time, you'll miss it.

Fireballs were witnessed simultaneously all along a 45 km stretch of the river.... which dispels the theories like The Skipper...

As for Head Snake's question on sound: The were silent except if it was close, there was a faint, but detectable "whoosh".

What's the answer? I don't know. I expected some logical explanation when I went there and ended up leaving with nothing plausible that I could believe in... leaving Naga as the only theory unable to dissprove.

Easily, it was one of the most amazing Thai experiences I've ever had.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The ones that were close enough to hear...how close were they?..approximately...could you tell how big they were...1 meter in diameter...10 meters in diamter...or whatever....how high do you think they went?....did they get smaller as they ascended?...what color were they?....did several come up in a row or just one at a time?...if several came up in a row then did they come up for one second, ten seconds?..or what...if many came up in a row then how many?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Phew... ok, here goes.. I'll try my best.

Closest ones were maybe 100 meters. All of them seemed to emerge from the middle portion of the river, but along a rather long stretch of the river, maybe a kilometer.

The glowing core looked to be about the size of a basketball with an illuminated, thinner tail trailing behind in lengths of 2-5 meters. The ones further away were difficult to judge their size.

They went very high... several hundred meters before darkening or disappearing. They appeared to be about the same size as they rose. Didn't look as though they got smaller. They just disappeared when they got high.

Some were first visible only a few meters off the surface of the river, others I first saw them glowing at maybe 50-100 meters off the surface of the river.

I'd say they were orangish red to orangish yellow in color.

They seemed to come up a few (2 or 3) in a batch with sometimes long stretches of time where none rose. Other times, only one was visible at a time.

They rose very fast. Usually they went straight up, but several seemed to have more of an arc to their path. Most were visible for only a few seconds... less than 5. There was one that came closest to me and it seemed to last longer, visible maybe 7 seconds. That was the one I got the best look at... I likened it to a flaming basketball... kinda scary in a way.

Hope this helps...

[katastrophic]

no photographs... but....

from the thread:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...40063&st=60

As a witness to the event, I can add my own personal take. First, definitely not tracer rounds. I have a lot of experience with firearms and these are NOT tracer rounds. Secondly, as proposed by the movie of a diver releasing chemical compound balls; no way. I did however enjoy the movie... particularly the clarity showing the swimmer underwater in the Mekhong. As someone who has swam in it, it is definitely has a visibility of about 3 inches...Various gasses released? Doubtful they would do so with such regularity. Too many variables in Nature for it occur so regularly. Conclusion?... who knows... by process of elimination, Naga is the most plausible I've heard.

Well worth a trip to witness and draw your own conclusions.

The "rent-a-hotel-room-in-Nong Khai-and-rent-a-motorbike-to-ride-to-the-site" route that I took went very well I thought.

Car traffic is EXTREMELY heavy where I went with a reported 20,000 people attending. Still took some time to get back, but at least 10 times faster than the line of cars I passed.

The number of fireballs I witnessed was around 20, although the "official" count (conducted by local volunteers and walkie-talkie radioed every few minutes when they are occuring to a central command post), was around 80. Granted also, though, that I admit to missing some as many are very quick and illuminated only briefly, and if you are looking in an opposite direction downriver at the time, you'll miss it.

Fireballs were witnessed simultaneously all along a 45 km stretch of the river.... which dispels the theories like The Skipper...

As for Head Snake's question on sound: The were silent except if it was close, there was a faint, but detectable "whoosh".

What's the answer? I don't know. I expected some logical explanation when I went there and ended up leaving with nothing plausible that I could believe in... leaving Naga as the only theory unable to dissprove.

Easily, it was one of the most amazing Thai experiences I've ever had.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The ones that were close enough to hear...how close were they?..approximately...could you tell how big they were...1 meter in diameter...10 meters in diamter...or whatever....how high do you think they went?....did they get smaller as they ascended?...what color were they?....did several come up in a row or just one at a time?...if several came up in a row then did they come up for one second, ten seconds?..or what...if many came up in a row then how many?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Phew... ok, here goes.. I'll try my best.

Closest ones were maybe 100 meters. All of them seemed to emerge from the middle portion of the river, but along a rather long stretch of the river, maybe a kilometer.

The glowing core looked to be about the size of a basketball with an illuminated, thinner tail trailing behind in lengths of 2-5 meters. The ones further away were difficult to judge their size.

They went very high... several hundred meters before darkening or disappearing. They appeared to be about the same size as they rose. Didn't look as though they got smaller. They just disappeared when they got high.

Some were first visible only a few meters off the surface of the river, others I first saw them glowing at maybe 50-100 meters off the surface of the river.

I'd say they were orangish red to orangish yellow in color.

They seemed to come up a few (2 or 3) in a batch with sometimes long stretches of time where none rose. Other times, only one was visible at a time.

They rose very fast. Usually they went straight up, but several seemed to have more of an arc to their path. Most were visible for only a few seconds... less than 5. There was one that came closest to me and it seemed to last longer, visible maybe 7 seconds. That was the one I got the best look at... I likened it to a flaming basketball... kinda scary in a way.

Hope this helps...

Thanks for the reply John, I totally believe your eye witness account but I still find it unbelievable that no one has managed to capture something on film or video! I don't know how many years they have been reported, or how many millions of people have seen them, but no visual evidence at all? Surely ONE good photo or video clip would make someone a few quid from a news agency?

[Tony Clifton]

I'd really love to take my small boat and outboard motor out there when it happens to try to get a closer look. Then again, I'm afraid I might find bullet holes in it.

Are there boats out on water with tourists on board or are they all kept ashore at the time?

Even Youtube doesn't have much to offer about this, I wonder why...

[sriracha john]

When I was there, Tony, no boats were allowed on the river.

[sriracha john]

Thanks for the reply John, I totally believe your eye witness account but I still find it unbelievable that no one has managed to capture something on film or video! I don't know how many years they have been reported, or how many millions of people have seen them, but no visual evidence at all? Surely ONE good photo or video clip would make someone a few quid from a news agency?

Annually, I have seen several video newscasts by Thai television news that caught numerous fireballs, but don't know if they've been archived anywhere.

As for still-camera shots, as the fireballs are relatively small and move fast and occur sporadically up and down the river, it would be extremely difficult to catch one on film. I tried desperately myself the entire time and didn't end up with a single shot...

Edited April 13, 2008 by sriracha john

[LomSak27]

Over the years I've been puzzled just when all these "fireballs" started erupting. Having worked in Thailand decades ago you never heard a word about Mekong Fireballs. Of course that was Bangkok maybe out in Ban nock issaan it was different, maybe. Two years ago I luckly ran into a former Peace Corps volunteer who worked as an engineer in Nongkai during the early 80's. As best he can recall he never once heard about this natural/supernatural wonder, from a coworker, boss, landlord, right up to the nai amphur and the local lao kow drunk in the ditch. No one mentioned a word, nor did people go out to the river and watch for the Naga fireballs.

We live in special days my friend, Days of miracles and wonder.

[sriracha john]

Over the years I've been puzzled just when all these "fireballs" started erupting. Having worked in Thailand decades ago you never heard a word about Mekong Fireballs. Of course that was Bangkok maybe out in Ban nock issaan it was different, maybe. Two years ago I luckly ran into a former Peace Corps volunteer who worked as an engineer in Nongkai during the early 80's. As best he can recall he never once heard about this natural/supernatural wonder, from a coworker, boss, landlord, right up to the nai amphur and the local lao kow drunk in the ditch. No one mentioned a word, nor did people go out to the river and watch for the Naga fireballs.

We live in special days my friend, Days of miracles and wonder.

Their existence pre-dates even your lengthy longevity in Thailand...

The fireballs have been seen for centuries.

- wikipedia

[Scalawag]

We made reservations easily at a hotel in Nong Khai, yesterday, October 13th.......Reports of 300.000 people seem overblown- at least this year(2008)........

[mackayae]

"When the moon is in the seventh house

and Jupiter aligns with Mars

then peace will guide the planets

and love will steer the stars

this is the dawning of the age of Naga"

[Carib]

The whole thing is a load of balls (fire balls). I've sat on the banks of the Mekhong five times in the last twelve years, under the full moon and with several hundred other people hoping (cynically) to see a glimpse of this phenomenon. Each time....nothing, not even a squib.....but it is pleasant, isn't it, to sit in the open air of a warm evening with a few bottles of beer?

The believers in these fireballs are the same people who clambered to the top of Phu Khradung on the afternoon of 31st December 1999 expecting the world to come to an end at midnight because of the Y2K 'threat'.

Hey ! You went back 4 times after the first disappointment....So you must believe in something.

Were you there at the 31 of Dec 1999 too??

[Carib]

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&...sa=N&tab=wi

Pics

But of course like others, I would like to see a real pic of this ball business.

[Jai Dee]

Tourism picks up ahead of Nong Khai Naga Fireball festival

Tourism in Nong Khai province is picking up as visitors from throughout the nation have begun to pour in for the Naga Fireball festival, with tents being prepared in front of the City Hall.

The Naga Fireball festival, which marks the end of Buddhist Lent, is scheduled to take place between October 10th to 16th this year with citizens from across the country already crowding the province today. Many of the visitors have visited major temples in Nong Khai to make merit.

Relevant agencies have begun to make preparations for spectators hoping to view the Naga Fireball phenomenon expected to occur tomorrow. Local administration authorities have set up signs detailing viewing areas and parking areas along with tents being erected for visitors to rest in. Some 40 tents have been set up with 10 volunteer workers overseeing orderliness everyday.

Source: National News Bureau of Thailand - 13 October 2008

[toybits]

Saint Elmo's fire is a natural phenomenon. This is caused by swamp gas or methane gas that spontaneously combusts.

When people say that the Naga fireballs shoot up from the river at speeds of a tracer bullet fired into the sky, I get very, VERY sceptical.

This is a bit tourism attraction and if anybody breaks the spell... it could mean disaster to the local tourism industry.

The TAT has entered the fray and a debunking of this phenomenon could sully the good image of the venerable TAT.

[meandwi]

This is my first reply to a post although i have been reading everyone elses i had to post to this one.

I find the believing in the wonderment of the spirits to be a beautiful thing and i think this is one of the reasons we love thailands peoples so much.

The other posts i have read here miss the real point about this event and if anyone has watched the most beautiful movie called " mekhong full moon party" (it comes on dvd with eng sub titles), they may understand it a little better.

Without giving too much away (which is what the message at the end of the movie asks) the producers of the movie add text to say "to everyone watching this movie please let the mystery survive in a sinicle world and not to hurt other peoples be them young or old by trying to look too closley into the whys and hows of the fireballs and just enjoy" or words to that efect.

The festival brings families, tourists and "faith" together for a while, just dont rationalize it to much- or thailand for that matter:-)

Get the movie if you can it is very nice.

p.s. also they can $ell a little som tam as well

Thanks for reminding me of this movie. It was a great film! We saw it a few years ago and loved it!

[mumbojumbo]

I went to this BS festival about 5 yr ago, the primo spot to view was about 30k e of Nong Khai. A long tail boat with no lights came down the river dropping some depth charge fireworks, and shortly, naga balls appeared, didnt see myself, checking out the birds. Black cloud rolled in and dumped, took 4 hrs to get out of there, worst trip ever.

[Heng]

Thanks for visiting!

Mission accomplished.

[phibunmike]

I went to this BS festival about 5 yr ago, the primo spot to view was about 30k e of Nong Khai. A long tail boat with no lights came down the river dropping some depth charge fireworks, and shortly, naga balls appeared, didnt see myself, checking out the birds. Black cloud rolled in and dumped, took 4 hrs to get out of there, worst trip ever.

I saw them last year, near Kong Chiam. No boats anywhere near for several hours. The Mekong at this time of year is very fast, so definitely no divers either. I have no explanation, but the balls exist and are not man-made. See the other thread on the same subject.

[sriracha john]

This is my first reply to a post although i have been reading everyone elses i had to post to this one.

I find the believing in the wonderment of the spirits to be a beautiful thing and i think this is one of the reasons we love thailands peoples so much.

The other posts i have read here miss the real point about this event and if anyone has watched the most beautiful movie called " mekhong full moon party" (it comes on dvd with eng sub titles), they may understand it a little better.

Without giving too much away (which is what the message at the end of the movie asks) the producers of the movie add text to say "to everyone watching this movie please let the mystery survive in a sinicle world and not to hurt other peoples be them young or old by trying to look too closley into the whys and hows of the fireballs and just enjoy" or words to that efect.

The festival brings families, tourists and "faith" together for a while, just dont rationalize it to much- or thailand for that matter:-)

Get the movie if you can it is very nice.

p.s. also they can $ell a little som tam as well

Thanks for reminding me of this movie. It was a great film! We saw it a few years ago and loved it!

I agree it was a very good film based on its other merits, but the problem with its explanation of the fireballs is that no one (not even a monk) could swim along the bottom of the Mekhong river.

It remains, to me, as per my posts last year earlier in the thread... unexplainable...

but anyway... big crowds this year....

Naga fireball miracle begins in Nong Khai

Hundreds of thousands of people, both local people and tourists alike, crowded last night (October 14) to see the annual Naga Fireball phenomenon at Mekong river in Nong Khai province.

Some 300,000 to 500,000 people from all walks of life as well as foreign and local tourists, from Nong Khai province, Bangkok and throughout the country gathered in various destinations along Mekong river in Nong Khai to witness the annual sacred event, according to local people's belief, of series of fireballs shot up from the river.

The first fireball on Tuesday's night was approximately at 6.28 pm seen in Rattanawapi district, followed by many fireballs seemingly flowing out of Mekong river to the sky continually until 10.00 pm.

People were glad to see the Naga fireballs. They shouted with cheers from time to time when seeing fireballs.

This extraordinary miracle always occurs at the beginning of the full moon night in the eleventh lunar month, signaling the end of Buddhist lent.

It can be seen along the Mekong river in the districts of Mueang, Phon Phisai, Pak Khat, Bung Kan, Tha Bo, Si Chiang Mai and Sangkhom. The so called Bang Fai Phaya Nak, or Naga fireball is a term used for red and pinkish fire balls, which according to belief, belong to Phaya Nak or the great serpent of the underwater world.

- ThaiNews / 2008-10-15

=============

*edit. from posts THREE years ago earlier in the thread.... sheesh, this is older than I thought.

Edited October 15, 2008 by sriracha john

[richabb1]

Great balls of fire

NONG KHAI: -- Nong Khai is ready to welcome more than 200,000 tourists to see the Naga fireballs, the provincial governor says.

This year, the phenomenon of fireballs from the Mekong River is forecast to appear at the end of Buddhist Lent tomorrow and Wednesday while most hotels are almost fully booked as hundreds of thousands of tourists flood into the city to experience the phenomenon.

Nong Khai governor Supoj Laowansiri said 600 houses had offered home-stays for tourists. The province has also provided 100 tents behind the provincial office and is coordinating with temples and schools to provide space for tourists, Supoj said, adding that the province expects around Bt100 million will be spent by visitors.

On Wednesday, the festival will begin with an offering of food to 300 monks on the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge and rites to sacrifice the Naga in Ponepisai and Sangkom districts.

Activities organised for tourists include food streets, boat competitions, floating fireboat to make sacrifices to the Naga and a light and sound show featuring the legend of the Naga fireballs on the Mekong River.

--The Nation 2005-10-16

BIG SPENDERS

[Governor]

Well I went this year, on 14th, and whatever the explanation it was a most enjoyable experience.

Arrived mid afternoon and parked up, sat by the river with the gf and her parents and pretty soon is was pretty packed with locals and one or two farrangs, soaking up the atmosphere, plently of food and activities, but certainly not a tourist trap.

After it was dark local lads were letting off their fireworks, later on the fireballs started flying out of the river, accompanied by the oohs and ahhs from the locals. I missed the first one, because I didn't know what I was looking for, but I saw the rest.

I saw about 15 though the tv news said there were about 300. Difficult to judge the size as they just appeared infrequently from different parts of the river, looked to be the size of tennis balls and rather like meteorites flying upwards.

Tens of thousands of people there, but all credit to the BIB for ensuring the flow of traffic.

Was it natural or man made, difficult to say, but the timing and change of location lead me to think it was natural.

Will certainly go again, but not every year.

[Flatouthruthefog]

I went to this BS festival about 5 yr ago, the primo spot to view was about 30k e of Nong Khai. A long tail boat with no lights came down the river dropping some depth charge fireworks, and shortly, naga balls appeared, didnt see myself, checking out the birds. Black cloud rolled in and dumped, took 4 hrs to get out of there, worst trip ever.

I saw them last year, near Kong Chiam. No boats anywhere near for several hours. The Mekong at this time of year is very fast, so definitely no divers either. I have no explanation, but the balls exist and are not man-made. See the other thread on the same subject.

See other thread? With all due respect I've been waiting here in Thailand for a decade and a half to see ANY credible photo, video or film (moving or still) of these blxxdx balls!

Another poster said rather importantly that they "were shown on a TV programme I was involved with."

Great! I trust you all! But surely it is not beyond the wit of man or modern technology to come up with SOME evidence of all this??

If I'm going to put petrol in the old jalopy and brave the millions on the Nong Khai riverbanks (TAT figures) I need to SEE evidence comprising at least 1% of all that has been described here.

At present I am intrigued yet unconvinced. Also slightly worried that if one of you believers does lure me there, you will, on my arrival, try to sell me the Friendship Bridge........

[sriracha john]

seeing is believing, as they say...

[raro]

Mrs. raro comes from that area East of Nong Khai. She and her family swear that they exist and are a natural phenomenon. Again, I couldn't make it this year to go up there and have a look myself but it is one of the things-to-do-before-I-die list so stay tuned and check this thread again next year. Or the year after....

[SymS]

I found a video in youtube looking for บั้งไฟพญานาค.

I have to say I'm a bit disappointed, I was expecting something more spectacular...

[Stephen Cleary]

Even Youtube doesn't have much to offer about this, I wonder why...

There are plenty of videos on YouTube. They are just not that clear.

Here's an example of one posted a few days ago.

This isn't the first time i've read from members here that there are no vidoes on YouTube or the Internet etc... about something in particular. I'd advise members to do a search in Thai language next time and not just English.

***On posting this, i saw that Sym had also posted above. His video runs for 20 odd seconds. my link is a video of more than 2 minutes. These are only examples.

Edited October 19, 2008 by Stephen Cleary

[sriracha john]

Thanks to both of you guys, those are nice videos but from wherever they were shot from, they both seemed significantly further away from the fireballs then from when I saw them... but still, they capture the essence quite well.

Thanks also for the Youtube advisory, Stephen... I'm very skeptical also whenever someone says, NOTHING exists... about any topic or subject.

Edited October 19, 2008 by sriracha john

[Stephen Cleary]

So that foriengers won't become mistaken again that there are are no Nong Khai/Fire Balls on YouTube, one of the videos has been reposted again but this time with an English language title and tags.

(English title) Edited October 19, 2008 by Stephen Cleary

[Thaddeus]

So that foriengers won't become mistaken again that there are are no Nong Khai/Fire Balls on YouTube, one of the videos has been reposted again but this time with an English language title and tags.

(English title)

Forgive me, but aren't balls of fire meant to be ball shaped rather than stick shaped.

[Governor]

I went there to see for myself and not to take photographs, though I did try.

As I indicated earlier, the "fireballs" seemed to come out the river, from different locations and intermittently, they were so fast it was difficult, no it was impossible, to photograph them, well it was for me anyway. also left my video camera running, but again in the wrong place, so I put my cameras in the car and enjoyed the rest of the party.

It may be a tourist trap, but it was free and all the food outlets were at local prices so I do not really think that TAT is trying to encourage foreign tourists.