BANGKOK: The annual mysterious phenomenon of “naga fireballs” in Nong Khai seems to have lost its magic, as the number of tourists visiting the northeastern province to witness it this year plunged by 78%.
According to figures released by the Nong Khai provincial administration, approximately 31,500 tourists visited Ratana Wapi and Phone Phisai districts to observe the Bang Fai Phaya Nak, or naga fireballs (Mekong lights), on Tuesday (Oct 7) night. This number sharply dropped from 141,381 tourists in 2024.
The number of fireballs counted also dropped compared to last year.
On Tuesday night, 287 fireballs were observed — 237 in Ratana Wapi and 50 in Phone Phisai. In contrast, 371 fireballs were counted last year, with 299 in Ratana Wapi and 72 in Phone Phisai.
The Nong Khai administration reported the highest number of fireballs from Ban Nong Kaew and Ban Nong Kaew Nua villages in Tambon Phone Paeng, with 40 fireballs. This was followed by 25 fireballs counted in Ban Dong Mod Daeng and Ban Nong Khon villages in Tambon Phone Paeng. Ban Ton Yai and Ban Ton Noi villages in Tambon Ban Tong each reported 23 fireballs.
This year, Ban Tal Chum village in Tambon Ratana Wapi had the highest number of tourists, with 5,000 visitors, followed by 4,500 tourists in Ban Tha Muang, also in Tambon Ratana Wapi.
Naga fireballs are a mysterious and fascinating phenomenon observed annually on the Mekong River in Northeast Thailand, primarily in the provinces of Nong Khai and Bueng Kan. The phenomenon is most consistently seen on the night of Wan Ok Phansa (the end of Buddhist Lent or Vassa), which falls on the full moon of the 11th lunar month, usually in late October or early November.
The fireballs are glowing, reddish balls of light that are believed to rise silently and spontaneously from the river's surface, shoot up high into the air (up to a couple of hundred meters), and then disappear.
The phenomenon is deeply rooted in local folklore and religion. Locals attribute the fireballs to Phaya Nak (or Naga), a gigantic mythical serpent or water spirit believed to reside in the Mekong River. The fireballs are said to be the Naga's breath or spit, which it releases to honor and welcome the Lord Buddha back to Earth after delivering a sermon to his mother in heaven at the end of Buddhist Lent.
However, the true cause of the Naga fireballs remains a subject of intense debate, with traditional beliefs clashing against various scientific and skeptical explanations.
The most popular scientific theory suggests that the fireballs are caused by the spontaneous ignition of natural gases.
Some skeptics, including a notable Thai scientist, claim the fireballs are actually tracer bullets or flares fired into the air by people — often suggested to be from the Lao side of the river — to perpetuate the phenomenon for tourism. - The Nation/ANN
