Ratchadamnoen Avenue was built by Rama V in the 1890s as Bangkok's ceremonial boulevard — a conscious parallel to the Champs-Élysées that the king had admired on his European tour. Three sections link the Grand Palace to the new royal district at Dusit, lined with white government buildings, royal portraits, and national emblems.
The avenue is used for major royal and national ceremonies: royal cremations, coronation processions, and the annual Chakri Day parade. At other times it is pleasant to walk, with wide pavements and good views of the Democracy Monument at the central section. On weekend evenings the street sometimes hosts a walking street market. The illuminated grandeur at night, when the avenue is floodlit and traffic light, is particularly striking.