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Great balls of fire: Thrills galore and a dose of scepticism
In the fourth of a five-part monthly series, The Straits Times investigates the source of the red and orange fireballs that emerge from the Mekong River once every year
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Once a year, at the end of Thailand's rainy season in October, crowds gather on the banks of the Mekong River.
They gorge on grilled chicken and papaya salad, and watch traditional dances performed near a massive statue of a seven-headed Naga, a mythical serpent in Thai folklore. Then, they turn to face the river, and wait for night to fall.
