Naga Fireball Festival

Naga Fireball Festival is a mysterious event that takes place every year in Thailand. Locally known as ‘bung fai paya nak’, the phenomenon which is seen in the Mekong River involves hundreds and thousands of glowing fireballs that rise out from the water high into the air. The balls are reddish and have diverse sizes, from smaller sparkles up to the size of basketballs. They quickly rise up to a couple of hundred metres before disappearing.

Local people say that they have seen the fireballs throughout their lives and their parents and grandparents did as well, but in earlier times, they did not pay much attention to this phenomenon. The festival related to the observation of Naga fireballs gained popularity in the 1990s and is named Bang Fai Phaya Nark Festival. Since the 2000s, this festival has obtained international fame and is actively promoted by the authorities of Thailand.
Traditionally it is believed that the balls come from the breath of Naga, a mythical serpent that haunts the river. While no plausible explanation exists, some believe that the fireballs are actually pockets of methane bubbling up from the river that spontaneously ignite.