Before my first visit, I’d never had the idea to do a cooking class in Thailand. Too expensive, I thought, and probably only interesting for ambitious chefs. But when I got there I realized: You can book a cooking course in Thailand almost everywhere. Visiting a cooking class in Thailand is kind of a must-do for anyone traveling to Thailand. The cooking courses are not expensive and considering that you get to eat what you’re cooking during the day it’s a real bargain. Fun is guaranteed, cooking is very communicative and you can improve your Thai cooking skills at the same time! And who doesn’t love Thai food? So, when I had the time in Chiang Mai, I enrolled my self in a one day Thai cooking class. In retrospective, I’m happy that I chose to do this in Chiang Mai, the setting couldn’t be more beautiful! Our class took place on a farm outside the city in a rural area, such a contrast and so relaxing!
Cooking Class in Chiang Mai: Making your own homemade Thai curry paste

Who would have known that doing your own Thai curry is so easy? At a Thai cooking class you’ll learn which ingredients to pick for red, yellow or green curry. Mix it all together in a mortar, add spices according to your taste and tadaa – you made your very own homemade Thai curry paste!
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Cooking class on a farm around Chiang Mai
I booked my cooking class at Smart Cook in Chiang Mai. A piece of advice: Book a cooking course on a farm! You’ll see more from the beautiful countryside around Chiang Mai and it’s a real treat to get out of the bustling city for a day.
My course even included a ride with a local train to the farm which was very interesting. On the farm, we took a little break during lunchtime and there were a ton of bicycles we could use to ride around the small farmers’ village and explore the surroundings like a buddhist temple. So relaxing!
What dishes do you learn to prepare in a Thai cooking class?
The food we cooked was super delicious! We could choose our own dish from a variety of meals, but in the end we got a recipe book with all recipes for free! I prepared a delicious green curry with chicken and rice and Pad Thai, the famous Thai noodle dish you’ll get everywhere in Thailand!

How to find a good cooking class in Thailand
Most cooking classes in Thailand include the following items:
- Visiting the local market before starting the course: That’s how you get to know best all exotic and important ingredients of the Thai cuisine – and you can identify them easier next time you go to a market on your own!
- all ingredients are included plus simple beverages like water or soda
- a menu consisting of 3 to 4 dishes: mostly you can choose between a variety of dishes, I recommend to choose different ones in the group, so you can swap and taste a bit of everything
- a small recipe book with all recipes of the cooking class
A few cooking schools provide classes in unusual surroundings like Smart Cook in Chiang Mai: Here they are offering cooking classes in an open air kitchen on a farm outside Chiang Mai.
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Read more about Thailand in these blog posts:
- Cooking Class in Chiang Mai for Thai Food Lovers
- Wat Traimit: The Golden Buddha in Bangkok
- Elephant Riding in Thailand: Please don’t do it. Here’s why.
- Hotel Review: The Memory at On On Hotel in Phuket, Thailand
- Thailand has the cutest airport ever: Koh Samui Airport.
- An authentic Thai Street Food Market in Phuket Old Town!
- Doi Suthep: Chiang Mai’s mountain and its famous temple, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep.
- Review: The Memory at On On Hotel, Phuket
- Chatuchak Market in Bangkok: Shop ’til you drop!
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