Virtually magnificent: Wat Arun as never seen before

Among Thailand’s unique landmarks on most visitors’ “must see” list, Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn, ranks in the top 10 Bangkok cultural experiences thanks to its ornate features and significant historical value.

From November 2024 onward, visitors, especially culture buffs and gamers, will find the experience at Wat Arun even more captivating with the introduction of an interactive VR game that allows virtual access to some of the temple’s closed-off areas and features and more insightful information about this majestic sacred ground.

The initiative, led by Ratchaneekorn Ratchatakorntrakoon of the Institute of Thai Studies at Chulalongkorn University, was three years in the making.

“Wat Arun is a globally renowned destination and we wanted to offer a fun and modern tool that would help visitors to know the temple better, visually and intellectually."

"VR technology will offer visitors a glimpse into Wat Arun’s never-before-seen features such as the interior of Mondop Tis (directional pavilions) that is inaccessible to the public and the Buddha image residing in the Old Ordination Hall, which can now only be appreciated via this VR game, and at the same time learn about their history and significance through several interactive games.”

The interactive VR game is a multiplayer game where one player wears the VR goggles and the other navigates the virtual premises based on the given clues and hints.

“When we were collecting information for VR game development, we found that most visitors visit in pairs or in groups so it makes more sense to create a multiplayer game for Wat Arun,” Ratchaneekorn said.

During the 20 minutes of the game, players will be taken inside key features carefully selected to reflect their historical significance, serving as well-grounded evidence that Wat Arun was indeed built in the Ayutthaya period.

These features include the Old Ordination Hall where players will learn about the period and various postures of the Buddha images and their different meanings and spiritual significance, the Old Sermon Hall, and Mondop Tis.

The VR also takes the players upward to another highlight: the 80-meter-tall ornate Phra Prang (the stupa) whose intricately accessorized tip cannot be seen from the ground.

Not only can visitors now marvel at the ancient royal craftsmanship, but they will also learn about the concept and ideology behind this remarkable spiritual landmark.

The development of this interactive VR game, led by the Institute of Thai Studies, involves several parties.

The Wat Arun management committee led by Phra Vajiraratanaborn and Bhadravarna Bongsasilp from the Fine Arts Department were instrumental in selecting the featured highlights and providing academically accurate information, while the Wireless

Communication Ecosystem Research Unit of the Faculty of Engineering at Chulalongkorn University, led by Prof. Dr. Lunchakorn Wuttisittikulkij, developed the VR application.

The 3D scan and the drone images were carefully generated and selected by the Information Technology Center of the Fine Arts Department

“We feel that visitors, who are mostly foreigners, currently do not have a lot of reliable sources where they can get extensive and accurate information about Wat Arun in English. This VR game not only entertains but also educates through gamified exploration, allowing them to see and learn about Wat Arun at the same time."

"When the game concludes, players can scan a QR code to access the game’s solutions containing facts and details of the highlighted features to read in their own time,” Ratchaneekorn, head of research project and expert researcher of the institute, told TPBS World.

“We hope that this interactive game will appeal to new generation visitors and help us to further preserve Thailand’s historical sites, not only Wat Arun but also others, in the digital era.”

The interactive VR game at Wat Arun, currently in Thai and English with plans to include Chinese in the future, will be available from November for free during the trial period. Solo players can pair up with the project coordinators who will be assisting visitors at the temple daily.