The Royal Plaza is the formal open square that fronts the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall, laid out as the grand terminus of Ratchadamnoen Avenue when Rama V remodelled Dusit on European lines. At its centre stands the bronze equestrian statue of the king himself, unveiled in 1908 and still a focus of devotion.
On 23 October each year, the anniversary of his death, the plaza fills with citizens laying flowers and garlands at the statue's base. The rest of the year it is a vast, quiet expanse best appreciated for its sweeping sightlines toward the marble throne hall behind.