A rare stream of light in the night sky baffled locals in rural Thailand.

Footage shows a bright tornado-shaped bright sillhouete illuminating in the early hours of December 26 as seen from homes in Nakhon Phanom province.

As it dissipates, a tiny speck leaving a shining trail was seen travelling across the sky, which confused the supersitious locals even more.

Onlooker Apichat Dibukkham said: ‘I didn't know that that light was. I thought it was the creature Naga.

‘When the light was out, a new beam came out so I thought again maybe it was an alien. It was frightening.'

But as it turned out, the UFO was China's Long March 11 being launched into the air and was visible from the neighbouring country.

The Long March 11 (CZ-11) is a Chinese four-stage solid-propellant carrier rocket belonging to the Long March family, developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.