Temple rooftops

Jaofao at Big Buddha, Wat Phra Yai, Koh Samui
Originally uploaded by kuckibaboo.

These hook-like gable fixtures found on the roofs of Thai temples are called Jaofao or 'sky lords'. Their spiritual function is to protect the temple from bad spirits that may fall from the sky. In earlier architecture these often represented naga heads (the dragon-serpent of Hindu-Buddhist mythology). In this more stylised version they kind of resemble exotic bird heads.