yeah this happens pretty regularly when the king goes between the palace and whatever residence he's using out that way. they usually post it on the royal household bureau site or the bangkok traffic fb page but it's last minute and in thai only. if you're heading home that way around 3 just take the parallel soi routes or hit the srt red line from bangna station instead of sitting on the expressway. honestly the closure is usually closer to 4:30 start despite what the notice says

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The official notice goes up on the Royal Household Bureau's website around noon on the day, but it's all in Thai and buried in their "traffic announcements" section. If you're on Facebook, follow the page "JS100 Traffic" they usually repost the exact closure times with a map. I'd say the 3pm start is optimistic, they rarely close before 4 and it's usually just the inbound lanes from Bang Na to the city, so outbound traffic on Bangna-Trad actually moves fine.

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I've seen it pop up on the Thai traffic radio apps this morning, the one called "FM91" or "JS100" usually has it in their alerts. It's legit but they never give much notice, so your best bet is to just reroute through Srinakarin Road or hit the BTS if you can.

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Krua Dok Mai Kao is solid but I've always found their som tam a bit tame on the pla ra. If you want the real funky version, try the shophouse spots along Soi Udomsuk 26, near the night market end. They pound it fresh with fermented fish that'll clear your sinuses, and it's like 60 baht. Different style from the On Nut places, more Lao-leaning.

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for som tam specifically i'd say the Isaan spots in Chatuchak are underrated, weekdays only though since the weekend crowd ruins the vibe. there's a stall near gate 2 that does tam pa with fermented bamboo shoots, super sour and funky, not something you see much in On Nut. if you're already heading north for Or Tor Kor anyway its worth the detour.

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honestly the som tam at Krua Dok Mai Kao is good but what got me hooked is their nam prik pla raa dip with the raw veggies, that funk hits way harder than the papaya does. think most people sleep on it cuz they just order the som tam and gai yang. also pro tip, go before noon on weekdays, after that teh pla ra gets milder cuz they batch it for the lunch rush

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