Chitralada Palace has served as the working residence of the Thai Royal Family since Rama IX moved here in the 1950s. Unlike the Grand Palace, Chitralada is an active royal compound and is not open to the public — the buildings are screened by trees and cannot be seen from outside the walls.
What visitors can observe are the royal agricultural projects Rama IX established in the palace grounds: experimental rice paddies, fish ponds, a dairy, and research facilities that developed agricultural techniques intended for adoption by Thai farmers. These are visible near the moat and are a legacy of the late king's lifelong development work. The palace is best seen as part of a broader Dusit neighbourhood walk.