Lao villagers accused of festival 'fireball con'

Naga fire balls (yellow dots) shoot up into the sky along with fireworks (in red) on the night of the end of Buddhist Lent. (Photo courtesy of Bang Fat Phaya Nak Proof Facebook fanpage)

Lao villagers along the Mekong River are suspected of shooting flares intended to resemble Naga fireballs, to trick northeastern Thais during the annual Bang Fai Phaya Nak festival.

Hundreds of pink-and-red fireballs are said to naturally rise out of the Mekong River after dusk during the full moon at the end of Buddhist Lent.

This phenomenon is thought by some Thais to be Naga fireballs, which the mythical creatures shoot out from the river to celebrate the festival.

Drones had been used and discovered that the fireballs were actually flare gun shots from the Lao side of the Mekong River.

The Bang Fai Phaya Nak Proof Facebook page said 10 villages in Laos were involved, located opposite Nong Khai and Bueng Kan districts.

The page gave a petition to the Lao Embassy on Monday, asking that it look into the evidence.