Chiang Mai Cooking Courses
Thai cooking courses in Chiang Mai, one of the world's best places to learn to cook authentic Thai food.
Chiang Mai is arguably the best place in the world to learn to cook Thai food, with scores of cookery schools ranging from casual half-day classes to serious multi-day courses. Most begin with a guided market visit before you prepare a series of classic dishes to eat and the recipes to take home.
Schools cater to every level and diet, many set on farms just outside the city amid rice paddies and herb gardens. It is an affordable, hands-on way to carry a taste of Thailand home with you.
Choosing a Cooking School#
Thai cuisine is admired and appreciated worldwide, so it is no surprise that learning to prepare a few dishes is high on the list for many visitors. While courses are offered in tourist towns across the country, Chiang Mai stands out for the sheer breadth of schools and styles on offer, from casual half-day sessions to serious multi-day courses.
You can choose a half-day, full-day or several-day course. A typical day begins with a guided visit to a fresh market to choose ingredients, after which students follow the teacher step by step to prepare four or five classic dishes. Best of all, you get to sit down and eat everything you cook, and take the recipes home with you.
At the top end, luxury resorts in the Mae Sa Valley just outside town offer superb facilities, with individual cooking stations and accomplished chefs guiding you through refined menus. These premium experiences cost considerably more but are a memorable treat for keen cooks.
At the other end of the scale, countless guest houses and restaurants run informal cookery classes as an optional activity, ideal for those who want a relaxed introduction without a big commitment.
Among the independent schools, the long-established Chiang Mai Thai Cookery School in the old city has a good reputation for reliability and a well-organised one-day course. Many farm-based schools on the edge of town are also popular, setting their classes amid rice paddies and herb gardens for a more rural feel. Whichever you choose, it is an affordable, hands-on way to carry a taste of Thailand home.