History

     Nong  Khai  Province See also the Haw wars, memorialized by the monument before the Old City Hall (now a museum and cultural center); and, down by the Mekong, by Wat Angkhan (Thai: วัดอังคาร), which is Pali for Ashes of the Dead , as well as for Mars, the planet that the Romans named for their God of War. Nearby, the city maintains the lovely little Garden of Sorrows (Thai: สวนโศกเศร้า), with signs signifying this is where widows came to grieve.                In more recent years, Nong Khai has become a popular destination, with full Tourism Authority of Thailand and local backing, during the Buddhist Lent festival when mysterious balls of light, or Naga fireballs, rise from the Mekong river. Initially caught on video when the phenomenon first 'began,' the speed and trajectory of the 'balls of gas' closely resemble tracer bullets from AK47s. Any serious scientific analysis has been generally deemed disrespectful to local beliefs.