By Tricky Vandenberg – August 2009 Rev 1

The most early maps and drawings of the City of Ayutthaya were done by the Dutch in the first half of the 17th century, probably in Jeremias Van Vliet's period. The first map of the city was published in Johannes Vingbooms' Atlas in The Hague around 1665.  

Vingboons made his aquarels based on sketches drawn by sea men and merchants during their voyages with the "Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (VOC) and co-operated with Joan Blaeu, the chief of the mapping factory of the VOC. 

From this first map, the Judea painting located at the VOC's office in Amsterdam, was derived.

1665 - Johannes Vingboons Atlas - "Afbeldinge der stadt Iudiad hooft des choonincrick Siam" .

Iudea map in VOC office Amsterdam.

Joost Schouten wrote in 1636 the "Notitie vande Situatie, Regeeringe, Macht, Religie, Costuymem, Traffijquen ende andere Remercquable Saecken des Coninghrijcks Siams" which was originally published at The Hague in 1638. Roger Manley's translation of the two works of Caron and Schouten - "The Mighty Kingdoms of Japan and Siam" - appeared in 1663. A second edition in 1671. In Manley's book was a map of Ayutthaya, definitely based on Vingbooms map (or eventually just the opposite).

1671 - Map from Caron & Schouten - The Mighty Kingdoms of Japan and Siam – translated in English by Roger Manley.

Jan Janszoon Struys (c. 1629 - c. 1694) was a world traveler who wrote "Drie aanmerkelijke en seer rampspoedige reysen" a book which was published in 1676 in Amsterdam and contained a sketch of Ayutthaya, seemingly related on Vingbooms and the Judea painting.

1676 – J.J. Struys – Drie aanmerkelijke en seer rampspoedige Reyzen – Amsterdam.

A second set of maps was introduced by the French, during their short presence in the second part of the 17th century. 

Allain Manneson Mallet (1630-1706), an engineer published a miniature "Iudia ou Siam" in his "Description de l'Univers" of 1683; a six volume world history. His drawing was likely inspired by J.J. Struys. 

The most accurate map was the one of Jacques Nicolaas Bellin (1703-1772) a French cartographer published in l' Abbé Prevost's "Histoire Générale des Voyages" and based on sketches made in 1687, probably made by the French Engineer M. de la Mare.

1683 – Allain Mallet – Iudia ou Siam in Description de L’Univers – Paris.

1750 - Jacques Nicolaas Bellin - Plan de la ville de Siam - Histoire Générale des Voyages  by Prevost - based on inputs

of 1687.

Nicolas Gervaise (1662 - 1729) studied theology at the Catholic seminary in Ayutthaya from 1682 till 1685. In 1688 he published in Paris his work "Histoire naturelle et politique du Royaume de Siam" with a sketch of Ayutthaya, looking very much like a copy of Mallet. 

Finally we have a raw map of Simon de La Loubère (1642 - 1729) drafted in 1687/88 and published in "Du Royaume de Siam" in 1691. The map indicates the different foreign settlements existing at that time.

1688 – Nicolas Gervaise - Histoire naturelle et politique du Royaume de Siam.

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1688 – de La Loubère – A new historical relation of the Kingdom of Siam.(translated map)

A third set of maps was drafted mostly in Europe based on information provided by visitors to Ayutthaya.

The geographer Vincenzo Coronelli (1650 - 1718) for example, received probably the necessary inputs to draft his map of Ayutthaya from his colleagues Jesuits.

Engelbert Kaempfer (1651 - 1716), a German naturalist, traveler and physician, drafted the most technical accurate map of Ayutthaya on his short visit to Siam in 1690.

1696 – Coronelli – Siam, o Iudia

1690 – Engelbert Kaempfer – A Description of the Kingdom of Siam.

1690 – Engelbert Kaempfer – A

Description of the Kingdom of Siam.

François Valentijn (1666 - 1727) served with the VOC as a preacher man during his stay at Ambon, Indonesia. On his return to Holland in 1714 he wrote the monumental work "Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indiën", published end 1726 and including a detailed map of the Chao Phraya River. He indicates quite correctly settlements and monasteries around the City of Ayutthaya.

Last is a map of Ayutthaya, prior its destruction by the Burmese in 1767, drafted by John Andrews (1736 - 1809) and published in "Plans of the Principal Cities in the World" by John Stockdale - London c. 1776. The plan provides a rare record of the city with 15 locations of buildings and streets.

1726 – Francois Valentijn - Enlargement of Ayutthaya from the map "De Groote Siamse Rievier Me-Nam" in the work

"Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indiën 1724-1726" 2nd book.

1760 – John Andrews - A Plan of the City of Siam or Juthia.