Great Balls of Fire

For those who like it hot in Thailand there is more than just chilli peppers on offer on October 21st and 22nd, as the Naga fireballs rise up from the Mekong River in northern Thailand.

This is no choreographed firework display; the fireballs are natural, but the event occurs with great regularity at the October full moon, marking the end of the Buddhist Rains Retreat.

The event marks a major festival on the Buddhist calendar, with the two-day celebration also marked with boat and light shows.

Buddhists believe the fireballs are produced by a serpent called the Naga, hence the event's name, while others offer a scientific theory that the fireballs are burning gas from decomposing organic material drawn up from the riverbed by the full moon.

Either way, the sight of these blazing orbs floating into the sky is a strange and spectacular sight.

The nearby town of Nong Khai has plenty of accommodation for the event, including cheap hotels.

This article is provided by Hotels Hotels Hotels suppliers of cheap hotels in Thailand

Updated: Mon, 11 Sep 2006 00:00:00

Related Links:
Thailand Tourist Board