Lao villagers accused of festival 'fireball con'
published : 26 Oct 2021 at 11:52
writer: Gary Boyle
ORIGINAL SOURCE/WRITER: Post Reporters
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.
Vocabulary
- drone (noun): an aircraft (or ship) without a pilot, controlled from the ground - เครื่องบินไร้คนขับที่ควบคุมด้วยวิทยุทางไกล
- dusk: the time before night when it is not yet dark - เวลาเย็นก่อนค่ำ
- evidence: facts statements or objects that help to prove whether or not someone has committed a crime - หลักฐาน
- fireball (noun): a meteor; a burning ball, usually seen in the sky - ดาวตก, ลูกไฟ
- flare: a bright flame that burns for a short time - การลุกไหม้อย่างรวดเร็วและสว่างไสว
- mythical: relating to or existing only in myths; imaginary, or not real - ซึ่งเป็นนิทาน
- petition: a document signed by a large number of people demanding or requesting some action from the government or another authority - การถวายฎีกา,การร้องเรียน
- phenomenon (noun): a fact or an event in nature or society, especially one that is not fully understood - ปรากฏการณ์
- resemble (verb): to be like or look like someone or something else - มีลักษณะคล้ายกับ
