Is it usually easy to get a space, at around 5pm on a weekday?

I haven't been to 'Royal' for ages but think you should be ok on a weekday as long as its not one of those long weekends when the whole of Bangkok turns up 😋

If not, there's always Avenue or Central Festival

Usually fine. I never have a problem.

Careful last time i went i got charged to park, i think 100 baht. Never been back.

1 hour ago, henryford1958 said:

Careful last time i went i got charged to park, i think 100 baht. Never been back.

Even if you can show you have just shopped or eaten in the Plaza?

There is a charge to park there unless you spend money inside. (I think the 1st hour is free.) This means, in my case, having the parking ticket validated by going down two floors; finding the Information counter; two bored teenagers will validate the ticket and then you're good to go - back to the elevator; down to the basement car park. Just another over-complication and over-manning example of Thailand's proud boast of 98+% employment.

15 minutes ago, mikebell said:

There is a charge to park there unless you spend money inside. (I think the 1st hour is free.) This means, in my case, having the parking ticket validated by going down two floors; finding the Information counter; two bored teenagers will validate the ticket and then you're good to go - back to the elevator; down to the basement car park. Just another over-complication and over-manning example of Thailand's proud boast of 98+% employment.

Thanks. Another reason why we love Thailand! 😏

This is one of the very few places that actually charge for parking (Central and T21 are free).

The reason for this is probably because Royal Garden is a bit too close to Walking Street, if it was free too many people would just park there and go to WS without buying anything.

On 4/1/2026 at 2:08 AM, FarangFB said:

This is one of the very few places that actually charge for parking (Central and T21 are free).

The reason for this is probably because Royal Garden is a bit too close to Walking Street, if it was free too many people would just park there and go to WS without buying anything.

I always thought central charged... there seem to be barriers in action when I walk past.

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

I always thought central charged... there seem to be barriers in action when I walk past.

No, always been free - and loads of spaces.