Northeastern cave forced to close for a week after tourists test positive

Nakee Cave in Nakhon Phanom, a Northeastern province, will be closed until Thursday now that seven people who visited tested positive for Covid-19. This included tourists, and tour guides. Authorities might make exceptions for tourists who already booked air tickets, or have arrived at the site, who can try to get permission from authorities to enter. Authorities will then look at requests on a case-by-case basis. The cave is in Phu Langka, a national park.

Nakee Cave is not to be confused with Naga Cave in Bueng Kan, another Northeastern province, which is still open. Both caves are named after the legend of Naga, a mythical serpant important in Thai folklore, as well as other Southeast Asian and South Asian cultures. Nakee is the name of the goddess in human form, and not serpent form. Cultures in this region believe the Naga is a giant serpant with many heads. The Northeastern Thai legend says a water angel ordered Nagas to play in a lake, and their splashing sent rain down to earth.

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Every year in the Northeast, people shoot self-made rockets into the sky to wake up the Naga, hoping the Naga will send rain down to their crops. There have been many Thai movies about Naga, most famously a series starring Thai celebrities Nadech and Yaya.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post | Fandom | IMDB