It's Naga or you can say it's a serpent or snake! The actual name is Mucalinda, Muchalinda or Mucilinda, who protected the Buddha from the elements after his enlightenment.
It is said that four weeks after Śākyamuni Buddha began meditating under the Bodhi tree, the heavens darkened for seven days, and a prodigious rain descended. However, the mighty king of serpents, Mucalinda, came from beneath the earth and protected with his hood the one who is the source of all protection. When the great storm had cleared, the serpent king assumed his human form, bowed before the Buddha, and returned in joy to his palace. That's why most of the Thai temples have the symbol of Naga on the side of the stairs as protector or guardian.
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