Ayuthaya

Wat Phra Si Sanphet

The three bell-shaped chedis of Wat Phra Si Sanphet have practically become a symbol of Ayutthaya. The temple stands almost in the center of the main area of the old capital.Wat Phra Si Sanphet was built by King Boromatrailokanat in 1448. It was reportedly one of the grandest temples in the ancient capital, and it is still one of the best preserved on the island. The temple took its name from the large standing Buddha image erected there in 1503. The image stood 16 meters (53 feet) tall and was covered with more than 150 kilograms (330 pounds) of gold. The Buddha was smashed to pieces when the Burmese sacked the city. King Rama I collected the remaining pieces and placed them in a chedi at Wat Po in Bangkok.Headless Buddha image at one end of Wat Phra Si SanphetThe three large chedis were built to contain the ashes of King Boromatrailokanat and his two sons, King Ramathibodhi and King Boromatrailokanat II. They are considered typical of the Ayutthaya style, and several replicas of them have been built in Bangkok, including the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.A toppled chedi behind the three chedis of Wat Phra Ai Sanphet. The three chedis were surrounded by a large cloister with lines of smaller chedis placed near the outer wall. At one end of the line formed by the three chedis is the remains of a smaller chapel with a now headless Buddha image. The graceful curves achieved with ordinary bricks is quite interesting to see.Around back of the three chedis, many of the small chedis along the outer wall have been toppled over. Though unfortunate, this does give you a rare opportunity to see the details of the top finials up close.The temple was originally connected directly to the royal palace (Wang Luang), but the Burmese leveled the palace buildings right to the ground. The early Bangkok kings had most of the bricks hauled off to build the new capital.

From:http://thailandforvisitors.com/central/ayuthaya/sisanpet.html

The Phi Phi Islands (Thai: หมู่เกาะพีพี) are located in Thailand, between the large island of Phuket and the western Andaman Sea coast of the mainland. Phi Phi Don, the larger and principal of the two Phi Phi islands, is located at 7°44′00″N, 98°46′00″E. Both Phi Phi Don, and Phi Phi Leh, the smaller, are administratively part of Krabi province, most of which is on the mainland, and is located at 8°02′30″N, 98°48′39″E.
Ko Phi Phi Don ("ko" (Thai: เกาะ) meaning "island" in the Thai language) is the largest island of the group, and is the only island with permanent inhabitants, although the beaches of the second largest island, Ko Phi Phi Lee (or "Ko Phi Phi Leh"), are visited by many people as well. There are no accommodation facilities on this island, but it is just a short boat ride from Ko Phi Phi Don. The rest of the islands in the group, including Bida Nok, Bida Noi, and Bamboo Island, are not much more than large limestone rocks jutting out of the sea.
Phi Phi Don was initially populated by Muslim fishermen during the late 1940s, and later became a coconut plantation. The Thai population of Phi Phi Don remains more than 80% Muslim.
Ko Phi Phi Leh was the backdrop for the 2000 movie The Beach. Phi Phi Leh also houses the 'Viking Cave', from which there is a thriving bird's nest soup industry. There was criticism during filming of 'The Beach' that the permission granted to the film company to physically alter the environment inside Phi Phi Islands National Park was illegal. [1]
Following the release of The Beach, tourism on Phi Phi Don increased dramatically, and with it the population of the island. Many buildings were constructed without planning permission.[citation needed

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phi_Phi_Islands