Thailand’s cuisine is world-renowned not only for its intense flavours and spice but also the cultural importance it plays in the traditions and daily routines of the Thai people. Recipes are often passed down through generations with eating customs focusing around the family and communal dining.
When visiting Thailand, what better souvenir to take away than the experience and know-how of making your favourite local dish back home? Most 5-star hotels and resorts offer group or private cooking programmes but there are also a number of independently-owned classes found throughout the country. These are Exotiq’s top picks.
BANGKOK
Blue Elephant Cooking School
blueelephant.com
233 South Sathorn Road
In a century-old colonial house amidst Bangkok’s buzzing business district, the iconic Blue Elephant restaurant and cooking school gives students the opportunity to try their hand at cooking a selection of Royal Thai dishes for fun or enrolling in a full professional course.
Baipai Thai
8/91 Ngam Wongwan Road, Chatuchak
With an emphasis on home-style Thai cooking, this tranquil open-air venue seems miles from the bustle of central Bangkok.
May Kaidee
maykaidee.com
59 Tanao Road, Phranakorn
Offering numerous course options, from a 2-hour express class to a full 10-day course, May Kaidee has long been a go-to class for vegetarians focusing solely on vegetarian and vegan Thai dishes.
The Market Experience by Expique
expique.com/bangkok/the-market-experience
46 Soi Sathorn 9, Yannawa, Sathorn
Immerse yourself in Thai culture with The Market Experience cooking classes, including specialised lessons in fruit carving, sauces and desserts, based in Bangkok’s famous flower market, Pak Klong Talad. Offering rare insight into market life, guests are guaranteed to have an authentic Thai experience with a twist.
PHUKET
Blue Elephant
blueelephant.com
96 Krabi Road, Phuket Town
Under the leadership of Chef Noroor Somany Steppe, Blue Elephant’s reputation for authenticity and excellence earns it a place in the Michelin Guide. The restaurant and cooking school are both located in the 105-year-old historic Phra Pitak Chinpracha mansion, an opulent Sino-Portuguese style home in the centre of Phuket Town.
BrassWok Thai Cooking Studio
brasswok.com
149/12 Moo 4, Srisoonthong, Thalang
BrassWok owner and Le Cordon Bleu-trained Chef Pui loves to share her passion for cooking in intimate or private classes. Her students are given the opportunity to select their ingredients from local markets and learn how they’re used in classic central and southern Thai dishes.
KOH SAMUI
Island Organics
islandorganicssamui.com
24/1 Moo 4, Bangrak
Passionate about organic ingredients, Chef Latthana focuses on farm to table cooking practices with special insight into aquaponics and other organic food growing techniques. Her eco-farm provides fresh produce as well as free-range eggs, poultry and organically farmed tilapia fish.
Infusion
infusioncookingclasssamui.com
Soi Khao Phra, Bophut
With its own organic garden, Infusion’s cooking classes take advantage of using fruit, herbs and edible flowers fresh from the garden. Able to substitute any meat-based dishes with vegan options, this class is suitable for all in the popular fisherman’s village of Bophut.
CHIANG MAI
Pantawan Cooking
pantawancooking.com
201 Moo 2, Mae Hia
Enjoy a true taste of Thailand in this classic Thai teak house surrounded by one acre of lush gardens and an organic farm. Pantawan Cooking’s open-air classroom and gorgeous wooden workstations lend an extra serving of authenticity to this family-run cooking experience.
Thai Akha Kitchen
thaiakhakitchen.com
15/1 Soi 4 Arak Road
As Chiang Mai’s only cooking school that specialises in the cooking traditions of the Akha people of northern Thailand, Thai Akha Kitchen works towards preserving this fading culture. Although a mostly plant-based cuisine, some dishes do incorporate meat but vegan options are also available.
May Kaidee
maykaidee.com
29/4 Chang Moi Kao Road
Owner and Chef May boasts restaurants in the U.S., Cambodia and Thailand, and has released her own vegetarian and vegan Thai cookbook. Her popular meat-free Thai recipes have found an even larger following thanks to the cooking classes offered in both Chiang Mai and Bangkok.
HUA HIN
Bamboo Thai Cooking
bamboothaicooking.com
1337/29 Phetkasem Road, Cha-am
Step into this home-based cooking school for a fun leisurely trip through Thai cuisine. Tour the garden with the chef and owner, Anya, and learn step-by-step about what goes into preparing Thai food.
Thai Cooking Course
thai-cookingcourse.com
19/95 Phetkasem Road, Soi Hua Hin 19
Chef Beau, once a chef in a 5-star hotel, puts emphasis on a fun and informal learning experience. Beginning her classes with a trip to the local market, she is adamant about supporting local farmers and vendors over large chain supermarkets.
KOH LANTA
Time for Lime
timeforlime.net
72/2 Moo 3, Saladan
With its laid-back, animal-friendly atmosphere, Time for Lime boasts a gorgeous beachfront location with nine bungalows also on site. The first cooking school in Koh Lanta, it continues to provide creative Thai cooking classes as well as lessons in cocktail making and artistic food plating.