A Reconstruction of the Ancient City of Ayutthaya Using Modern Photogrammetric 
Techniques 
Cliff Ogleby 
Department of Geomatics 
The University of Melbourne 
Parkville, 3052, Australia 
Telephone: 61 3 9344 6808, Facsimile: 61 3 9347 2916 
c.ogleby@engineering.unimelb.edu.au 
Commission V, Working Group 4 
Key Words: Cultural_Heritage, CAD, Reconstruction, Visualisation, Close_Range, Ancient City 
Thailand 
Abstract 
The architectural and archaeological heritage of the world is under increasing threat of destruction in 
the latter part of the 20th Century. Recent hostilities around the world have shown the fragile state of 
civilisation’s monuments, and increasing pressure from rising population and human mobility 
threatens sites in even remote locations like the Australian desert. For many years now 
photogrammetry has played a significant role in documenting this heritage, and many recent 
advances in the technique have enhanced the use of photogrammetry as a recording technique. 
The University of Melbourne has had a long involvement with Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok 
Thailand, and with implementing photogrammetric recording programs in Thailand. Recently, the 
University was awarded funding to support a program to create a computer visualisation of the 
ancient capital of Ayutthaya. This project will blend 3D CAD models of the architectural features of 
Ayutthaya with historical research and artistic rendering to build a realistic representation of this 
city. 
The model of the city has been built up from the base map created from small format photography and 
other sources (with the modern town 'removed), and the use of architectural photogrammetry to 
derive models on individual wat, chedi and prangs. The historical research conducted in Thailand has 
provided the basis for the determination of the most likely location of the structures. The various 3D 
models have been exported to Wavefront Advanced Visualiser, a fully featured animation software 
package operating on an SGI Crimson computer. Real surface textures and materials were derived 
from the original photography, ensuring that the model best represents the real situation. 
The end product, when completed in 1997, will be capable of producing animations of daily life in 
Ayutthaya, with the potential for giving an interactive experience depending on the level of computer 
technology employed in the visualisation. The reconstruction will also be used as the basis of a 
variety of educational products to be produced in Thailand on a variety of media, including CD-ROM. 
model. In order to achieve this, detailed 
photogrammetric records of the remaining 
architectural monuments will be combined with 
early written records of the city and the 
assistance and expertise of the Royal Thai 
Government Fine Arts Department. The basis 
for the creation of the CAD models is, however, 
the photogrammetric record. 
1. INTRODUCTION 
Ayutthaya is a modern city of around 60,000 
population, some 80km from Bangkok in 
Thailand. It has also just recently become a 
World Heritage Site, as it was the capital of the 
Kingdom of Siam for around 400 years up until 
1767AD, and in its day one of the most 
spectacular cities anywhere. The location of 
Ayutthaya is shown in Figure 1. The model resulting from the research will then 
form the basis of a series of 'visualisations' and 
animations of the city, and these will be 
produced into a video that will re-create life in 
Ayutthaya in the 1600s. The material will also 
be produced into a CD-ROM so that it can be used 
throughout Thailand as an educational resource. 
The University of Melbourne in Australia, and 
Chulalongkorn University in Thailand are 
conducting a three year research project to re- 
create the greatness of Ayutthaya in the form of 
a photo-realistic, three-dimensional computer 
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International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXI, Part B5. Vienna 1996 
  
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