Bangkok Cooking Class: Choose 5 Thai Dishes & Market Tour

Summary

Pick your favorite Thai recipes and cook them after shopping the lively Sukhumvit market with a chef who actually knows every vendor by name

You’ll pick five Thai dishes to cook from scratch after touring a vibrant Sukhumvit market with your chef-guide. Expect hands-on lessons (and laughs) in an air-conditioned kitchen plus lunch or dinner shared with fellow travelers. It’s real flavors, real people—and memories that linger longer than any recipe card.

What’s the experience like?

I didn’t expect to be handed a menu as thick as a novel before we even started cooking. At the Sukhumvit cooking class in Bangkok, they let you choose five dishes—anything from green curry to mango sticky rice. I got a little overwhelmed and just pointed at what sounded spicy. Our guide, Chef May, laughed and said, “Good choice, but you’ll cry!” She wasn’t wrong.

The market tour was loud and kind of chaotic, but in that way that makes you feel alive. Fish on ice, lemongrass everywhere, people shouting prices—one woman pressed a kaffir lime into my hand and grinned when I sniffed it. I tried asking for galangal in Thai (Li laughed when I butchered it), but somehow we found everything. The walk back was sticky-hot, but honestly? I barely noticed with all those smells still stuck in my nose.

Inside the kitchen—thank god for air conditioning—we chopped and pounded curry paste until my arms hurt. Chef May showed us how to hold the pestle properly (I was doing it all wrong). There were moments where everyone just went quiet except for the sound of knives on wood and someone humming softly behind me. Lunch tasted brighter than any Thai food I’ve had back home—maybe it’s just different when you make it yourself, you know?

I still think about that first bite of panang curry—creamy but sharp, with heat that sneaks up on you. We ended with mango sticky rice while swapping stories with other travelers; nobody rushed us out. If you’re looking for a day trip cooking class in Bangkok that’s more than just following recipes, this one sticks with you long after.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Market tour and Thai cooking class

• Take BTS Skytrain to On Nut Station
• Get picked up by staff
• Shop at local market for ingredients
• Prepare curry paste from scratch
• Cook 5 chosen Thai dishes
• Enjoy cooking in air-conditioned kitchen

Top questions

How many dishes do I get to cook in this Bangkok cooking class?

You can choose five Thai dishes to cook during the half-day class.

Is there a market tour included?

Yes, the class includes a guided tour of a large fresh market to shop for ingredients before cooking.

Where is the cooking school located?

The school is near BTS On Nut station in Sukhumvit, Bangkok—just three blocks away from pickup point.

Is pickup included or do I need to take a taxi?

Pickup is included from BTS On Nut station; no taxi needed.

Are classes held in air-conditioned rooms?

Yes, both the classrooms and kitchens are fully air-conditioned for comfort.

Can children join this Thai cooking class?

Children must be accompanied by an adult; under 9s need parent assistance to cook.

Do I get lunch or dinner during the class?

You’ll enjoy lunch if you book the morning session or dinner if you book the afternoon session.

Are recipes provided after the class?

You’ll get internet access to many recipes and videos after your lesson.

What’s included

Your half-day includes pickup from BTS On Nut station, an energetic guided market tour for fresh ingredients, hands-on cooking lessons with an English-speaking chef in an air-conditioned kitchen, all your chosen dishes plus either lunch or dinner (depending on session), ice water throughout, and online access to recipes and videos so you can try them again at home.