Scientist insists Naga fireballs are prank by Laos villagers

BANGKOK (The Nation/Asia News Network): The so-called Naga fireballs witnessed in Nong Khai on Sunday (Oct 29) night were nothing but projectile bullets fired from the Lao side of the Mekong, a Chulalongkorn University academic sniffed on Monday.

Jessada Denduangboripant, a professor at CU’s Faculty of Science, insisted that the mysterious phenomenon’s source was easily explainable without resorting to the story of a serpent spirit blowing fireballs from the Mekong River.

In posts on Facebook, Jessada cited a photo published by The Standard news website and an explanation by astronomer Matipol Tungmatitham to back his theory that “the fireballs” were merely tracer bullets fired into the air by mischievous Lao villagers.

Jessada has been calling on the media and government to reveal the truth about the annual phenomenon, which attracts thousands of visitors to the northeastern province every year.

He also noted that the number of Naga fireballs was relatively low this year, pointing to economic hardship in Laos as an explanation.

He cited two photographs published by The Standard, one depicting a glowing orb in the night sky and the other showing streaks of red light like tracer bullets fired from the ground.

He explained that normal photos show the phenomenon as a fireball, but photos taken with a slow shutter reveal the truth of red streaks caused by projectile bullets.

Jessada also dismissed theories that the fireballs occur naturally when the full moon triggers the release of methane gas bubbles from the riverbed.

Citing Matipol’s explanation, he pointed out that the fireballs actually emerged a day after the full moon, to coincide with the end of Buddhist Lent, pointing to a manmade rather than natural cause.