On October 4, 2009, when people and tourists were standing in line on the river’s edge, suddenly dozens of bright pink balls shot up from the river, like a symphony orchestra.
In Thailand there is a natural phenomenon that attracts the attention of many scientists. Every year, local residents often gather along the Mekong River (Nong Khai province) to witness first-hand the balls of light rising from the river’s surface. People call it “man fai paya nak” or “dragon ball spray”.
On October 4, 2009, when people and tourists were standing in line on the river’s edge, suddenly dozens of bright pink balls shot up from the river, like a symphony orchestra. Tourists and people excitedly clapped their hands together to cheer the sky. Just a few minutes later, the fireballs disappeared into the night sky.
This phenomenon usually happens for only 1-3 days a year, on the last day of the Thai Buddhist Feast usually held in October. When appearing, the balls do not make a nice sound. smoke, sometimes red, pink or white. They can fly up to 100m above the river and can only be seen at night.
According to local legend, there was a dragon that lived in the river and it was believed that the fireballs were spewed by the dragon. People say they have seen this phenomenon for a long time.
Fireballs are just a natural phenomenon that can be explained by science. They are the “work” of natural gas combustion. There is even a doctor who has conducted research on his own for a long time, he proves that it is the methane sediment rising from the river bed that is the “culprit” of this phenomenon.
However, the Thai Ministry of Science has a different view. They agreed the cause was natural gas, but this was the result of phosphine combustion.
Why does this phenomenon only happen in October? – Because the accumulation of gas at the bottom of the river peaks in October. At that time, the gas accumulated long ago will explode into balls of mysterious light.