| Address |
| Phon Phisai, Nong Bua Lamphu, Thailand |
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| Information |
The Phaya Naga of the Mekong River
This portion of the Mekong River runs along the northeastern border of Thailand with Laos and is reportedly the home to a serpent-like creature that is known as the Phaya Naga (or Paya Naga or Naga), which is believed to be the source of mysterious fireballs that emerge from the river every year. The Nagas appear in both Hindu and Buddhist mythologies and are also believed to exist in other parts of the world. In Hindu, the Nagas are the protectors of water sources (including wells, lakes, rivers, etc.), but have the power to turn the weather or create natural disasters if they are not shown the proper respect. Buddhist beliefs are similar, but also place the Naga as something of a bodyguard or servant to Buddha himself. Statues of the Naga can be seen all over Thailand and Laos to this day.
Sightings of the Naga
In 1992, several workmen were beginning the process of tearing down and replacing an old Temple in Phon Pisai when a large snake-like creature emerged from the temple and reared up on the men, who quickly fled. The story goes that the men came back with a large offering for the Naga, which apparently appeased the creature because it was never seen again.
Phon Piasi's Chief of Police, Officer Suphat, encountered the Naga in 1997 while walking with a group of 50 people on the cliffs overlooking the Mekong River. According to this story, the group watched as a large, black serpent-like creature swam against the current going up the Mekong. By their estimates, the creature was around two hundred and thirty feet long and spooked them enough that they headed in the opposite direction. Officer Suphat would later tell a local Buddhist monk about the sighting and was told that a statue of Buddha had fallen into the river as it was being transported across and the Naga had come to protect it ever since.
Naga Caught by U.S. Servicemen
One of the more fascinating stories of the Naga concerns a photograph that shows several United States servicemen holding a silver, eel-like fish that measured around 23-feet long. The picture is often dated from 1968, 1973 or even 1996. The story goes that the men caught the fish, believed to be the Naga, from the Mekong River and it was taken back to the United States to study, but unfortunately died a month later. Other versions have the several men depicted in the photo dying in horrible fashion, as if some curse had been placed on them for taking and killing a Naga. However, in an interesting twist to the story, many people believe the photograph was actually taken on Coronado Island in California, after a 23-foot oarfish washed up at the Naval Training Center in September 1996. Despite the discrepancies, many people still believe the photograph to be evidence of the existence of the Naga and it is still displayed and sold throughout Thailand to this day.
The King of Naga Fireballs
The Naga is also believed to be the source of a mysterious phenomenon that occurs at the Mekong River every year. The event is known locally as Bung Fai Paya Nak, or more simply, the King of Naga Fireballs. This natural phenomenon occurs annually, typically on the full moon night of the 11th lunar month, which happens to coincide with the last night of the Buddhist Lent. At this time, small reddish-pink balls of light emerge from the Mekong River and slowly rise into the night sky, emitting no sound or smell. There can be one, two or as many as twenty goose egg-size fireballs emerge from the river and travel up to 900 feet in the air before disappearing just as mysteriously as they appeared.
They have been reportedly spotted as far back as anyone can remember, but recently have become something of a celebration in Thailand and are now accompanied by parades, illuminated boats, and fireworks. Once a local tradition, the King of Naga Fireballs now attract tourists from all over the world to witness the spectacle firsthand. They can be spotted up and down the Mekong River, but most reports seem to place this location at Phon Phisai as the best spot to watch the fireballs. On any given night, they can number anywhere between 20 fireballs or into the 1000s. In 1998 alone, over 7,000 fireballs were reported over a two-day period from either side of the river.
Since the Mekong River is believed to play host to this mystical creature, it is not surprising to find that it is believed that it is the Naga that rises from the deep and emits these fireballs into the night sky. The Naga is said to be participating in the celebration of the end of the Buddhist Lent, with each fireball serving as a step on a staircase to heaven that Lord Buddha can use to descend to Earth at the close of the Buddhist Lent.
There have been several possible explanations for the cause of the fireballs, including even a television station in Thailand declaring that they were simply tracer fire that was being fired off from the Laos side. The declaration was met with outrage in the country and many people point to the absence of noise or smell as proof that the fireballs could not be anything man-made. Others have speculated that it is a natural process of decomposition of organic materials under the right conditions that causes methane to rise to the surface, which reacts with oxygen to instantly ignite. As proof, the scientists point to the fact that the phenomenon does occur at other times during the year as well, usually when the Earth is closest to the sun and moon. However, the prevailing belief throughout the country is still to this day that it is the Naga that is responsible for the fireballs. |
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| Related Sites |
Tourism Authority of Thailand: Naga Fireballs of Nong Khai
An article from the Tourism Authority of Thailand regarding the mysterious Naga Fireballs that appear annually in the Mekong River on the border of Laos and Thailand. |
Wikipedia: Phaya Naga
Wikipedia's entry on the mythical creature known as the Phaya Naga (or Naga) that is believed to exist in the Mekong River on the border of Thailand and Laos. |
Time: Behind the Secret of the Naga's Fire
An article from Time Magazine concerning the Naga Fireballs that appear annually in the Mekong River on the border of Thailand and Laos. |
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| Available from Amazon.com |
The Beasts that Hide from Man: Seeking the World's Last Undiscovered Animals |
In the Naga's Wake: The First Man to Navigate the Mekong, from Tibet to the South China Sea |
Lonely Planet Thailand |
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