Phon Phisai, Nong Khai, Thailand (folk belief)

The Naga Fireballs of the Mekong

Folklore — not a documented case

Every year at the end of the Buddhist rains retreat, reddish balls of light are said to rise silently from the Mekong, believed to be shot into the sky by the Naga, the legendary serpent of the river.

In Nong Khai province, on the banks of the Mekong River that forms the border between Thailand and Laos, thousands of people gather by the water on the last night of the Buddhist rains retreat (Vassa), which usually falls in October. They are waiting for the 'Bang Fai Phaya Nak', the Naga fireballs.

The stories in this section are folk tales and legends; they are not verified, real events and should not be confused with the rest of the archive.

From the same region