Mekong Full Moon Party ?

[Guest]

It's a Thai movie currently shown in Thailand. It is about a phenomenon on Mekong river on the night of the full noon on 11th Lunar month - the last day of the Buddhist Lent. On that night many bon fires are shooting from the river. The Thai believe that they are from King Naga who lives in the river. You can see that in Nong-kai province. This month it will happen on Oct. 21.

 

I've never witnessed that. Have any board members seen it? Is it worth your time and effort to be there?

What is your thought?

 

Would love to hear the story.

 

Thanks.

 

 

 

[pattaya127]

weird. My Gf just mentionned this movie before i logged on. Told me a cultural nut like me will like it (not in these terms, nicer!)....

[rovineye]

This from Bangkok Post

 

Amazing balls of fire

 

"Bung Fai Phaya Naga" _ the King of Naga fire-balls rising above the Mekong river that generally takes place on the full moon night of the 11th lunar month, the last night of the Buddhist Lent, has drawn curious onlookers to witness this amazing natural phenomenon in Nong Khai province every year. This year, the phenomenon is calculated to take place on the night of October 21 and 22.

 

 

It is said that the best time to see the fireballs is around 6pm-to-2am on the full moon night. Be prepared to be amazed at the balls of goose-egg-sized light, with uniform reddish-pink or rich crimson-burgundy hues of Siamese Ruby, which rise vertically into the night sky to heights ranging from 50 metres to 300 metres before they simply fade into thin air without a trace. The fireballs are visible for approximately three to eight seconds at a time, before they vanish completely. Sometimes the fireballs float up languidly, two or three at a time. Other times, five to seven float in a single sequence, and occasionally, up to nineteen of the balls of light float vigorously into the night sky. There's no scientific proof where the fireballs are from, but there are many theories dating back to ancient times. In line with the event, provincial authorities have organised a special cultural event starting from Oct 17-to-23. You may opt to see the phenomenon from the Laos side. A tour program to Vientiane is still available at the Orienta Vista, tel: 02-454-2477. For places to see the fireballs, access: www.nongkhaiweb.com

 

 

I have never been to see them myself.

 

 

[Guest]

One thing I definitely do NOT love about Thailand is their crappy movies. Seeing the previews for this one in the theaters, it looks like yet another gore fest. About as cultural as a Jason Friday the 13th or whatever film.

[Guest]

One of Nongkaiweb links is this link below, specifically for the movie. Very nice design and the music is great too.

 

http://www.mekhongfullmoonparty.com/eng_home.html

 

This movie is not about killing fest. It is about supersition or the truth behind the phenomenon.

[SUZIBANDIT]

Not a gore fest at all. Actually one of the better Thai movies I have seen. The little superstitious Issan Auntie had me laughing the whole time.

 

More of a morality tale and dealing with the issues of city v.s. country living, science v.s. religion etc, definately not a shoot em up.

 

I think the quality subtitles, translated by Todd Lovelle, made a huge difference as well. Also liked the fact that half the movie is in the Issan dialect and there are thai subtitles as well.

 

I haven't been to the actual celebration, but hear from friends that it really is an amazing sight.

 

[Guest]

Thanks, but still...Think I'll pass.

[Pescator]

Hi,

 

I went there in `94 on 2 consecutive nights in the district of Phonpisai.

There were around 100 spectators on both nights but unfortunately nothing happened.

Needless to say that the phenomen took place on the following day when I couldn`t go

 

Trips to see this are easily arranged by the guest houses in Nong Khai. I recall that the Mutmee Guest House arranges trips to Phonpisai around the day of the full moon on 11th Lunar month every year or so they used to anyway, but since they still have the same owner they probably still do.

However, it doesn`t necessarily take place on the designated date as I found out.

 

Hua Nguu.

 

 

[Goodthaigirl]

Here is an interesting read from The Nation on-line.

 

 

Mekong X-Files

 

Published on Oct 19, 2002

 

 

It?s the twelfth night of October. Nong Khai is enveloped in darkness. A waxing, crescent moon provides only a dim outline of the Mekong River. All is at peace. But come the full moon on October 23 and this sleepy little town will be visited by magic, and people. Lots of people. ?It was very peculiar and we?re not sure who or what did it,? recalls Manas Anuraksa, a local painter, recalling the full moon night last October when he witnessed the ?Naga fire rockets?.

 

?But whatever it was, I believe this mythical phenomenon could make Nong Khai special enough to become a wonder of the world.?

 

What he had seen were reddish pink globes ? the size of tennis balls ? rise up from the Mekong, sometimes high into the night sky, and then vanish. The peculiar phenomenon, known as ?Bung Fai Phaya Naga? among the locals, has been occurring in Nong Khai for over 100 years.

 

But just what causes this to happen is still a matter of conjecture.

 

?The fire balls used to be much smaller than they are today,? says Khun Kankha, a 73-year-old who lives by Wat Luang in Phon Phisai district, where some 1,000 crimson balls ascended into the sky last year.

 

?So many of them, like fireworks coming up from the water, they looked like fireflies when you saw them from a distance,? he added.

 

Experiencing this night would mean having a little taste of an ancient Mekong myth. Like the Nile in Africa, history, folklore and fantasy mix with the currents along the Mekong?s 4,800 km journey from China to the Mekong Delta.

 

Way back at the birth of local legends, Nong Khai and older settlements along the Mekong were said to have been created by mythical serpents, or Nagas. Over time the myth blended in with Buddhism.

 

This led to the belief that the Lord Buddha ascended to heaven to visit his mother during the three month Buddhist Lent period and his return to Earth on the full moon night of 11th lunar month was a cause for rejoicing. To demonstrate their delight at his arrival the Nagas shot fireballs from the river to celebrate.

 

?You must come to see with your own eyes. It really is a miracle,? urges the local artist. ?They rise up from the bottom of the river but you don?t see them burst into flames until they are about 10 metres above the surface. Last year, there was more than 3,000.?

 

 

The X-File Factor

 

But there are those who view this mythical explanation with a raised eyebrow.

 

One of them is Dr Manas, who works at Nong Khai Hospital. He prefers the more logical approach. Physics to be precise.

 

?I knew that conducting scientific research on this phenomenon would be politically incorrect since the whole town was quite content with their belief of the Nagas and are somewhat defensive about anyone questioning their belief,? the doctor explained.

 

So he took his curiosity into the lab where he spent his spare time trying to solve the mystery. ?I created what I called the ?Naga rocket? by bringing a sample of butane from the river,? says Manas.

 

When burnt, the butane gave off a pink colour similar to the fire balls.

 

Although pleased with this initial breakthrough, it would take another five years before Dr Manas could figure out that the fire balls were in fact created by the combustion between butane and atomical oxygen.

 

How? And where?

 

Answer: About 50 km above the earth?s surface, in the stratosphere, is the ozone layer which absorbs ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.

 

Up there, the intense flux of ultraviolet radiation breaks oxygen molecules into tiny particles of atomical oxygen ? and the intensity of this action is much stronger than it is at ground level.

 

?Studies show that butane can ignite in the upper atmosphere where the atomical oxygen is very strong,? Manas says. ?However, on an October full moon night when the sun, moon and earth orbit in a unique alignment, the atomical oxygen is so intense that ultraviolet radiation from the ozone layer produces enough atomical oxygen to combust at ground level.?

 

So why does it only happen in Nong Khai? Manas replied that the answer is beyond him.

 

?Naga rockets used to appear in Nakhon Phanom and some other parts along the Mekong, but not any more. Perhaps it?s the amount of butane that makes Nong Khai so special.?

 

The truth is out there, somewhere.

 

 

Small Town Invasion

 

If Manas? theory is correct, then it poses more questions than it answers. For instance, if the radiation is so intense on a full moon night, what effect would it have on the people watching the fire balls?

 

Yet, regardless of the unanswered questions, the phenomenon still attracts the curious and the Tourism Authority of Thailand has been quick to promote it.

 

It expects around 300,000 people to descend on Nong Khai and various points along the river on October 23. That?s double the amount of visitors in 2001.

 

Indeed, for 24 hours last October the sleepy little town was simply overwhelmed by an invasion of cars and people. Traffic was jammed and backed up from downtown Nong Khai to Phisai and Rattawape.

 

?Nobody seemed to complain about the chaos though,? says a local, who was smart enough to rent out his backyard as a parking lot. ?I met one man who had driven all the way from Phuket to see the Naga rockets for a few hours. His expression suggested it was more than worth it.?

 

DETAILS

 

Getting there:

 

This month Thai Airways (www.thaiair.com) is offering return Bangkok-Udon Thani flights for Bt3,570. Visitors can then take a taxi or a bus to Nong Khai.

 

There?s also a daily bus to Nong Khai from Bangkok?s Morchit Terminal. The tickets are priced at Bt319 air-conditioned and Bt248 non-air-conditioned. You can also take one of the three trains that leave Hualampong daily for Nong Khai.

 

Getting around:

 

The best time to see the ?Bung Fai Phaya Naga? Festival is from 6pm to 9pm. Below are the 10 best places to see the greatest mythical/geology show of the year. But you?ll have to get there in plenty of time to ensure a good view.

 

-- Wat Luang, Phon Phisai

 

-- Wat Phon Phaeng, Rattanawapee

 

-- Nong Bua Ngern Village, Rattawapee

 

-- Nam Pe Village, Rattawapee

 

-- Nong Kaem Village, Rattawapee

 

-- Wat Chorm Nang, Phon Phisai

 

-- Na Chum Chang Village, Rattawapee

 

-- Tha Muang, Rattawapee

 

-- Taan Chum Village, Rattawapee

 

-- Dong Mod Daeng Village, Rattawapee

 

Where to stay:

 

Not surprisingly, most of the accommodation in Nong Khai has been fully booked for weeks. However, you could try your luck at Phisai and Rattawapee. Check out www.nongkhaiweb.com for information.

 

Phoowadon Duangmee

 

The Nation

 

 

[Falang]

Do you think it will be in theater next february?