Thai Cooking Class in Chiang Mai: Market tour & 6 dishes

You choose which curry, noodle, soup and dessert to cook, so each person leaves with their own menu.

A Thai cooking class in Chiang Mai where you cook six dishes at your own station in an open-air kitchen, starting with a market tour to pick ingredients. The class runs five hours in a small group of up to ten, with hotel pickup and drop-off within Chiang Mai's old city, an English-speaking instructor, all equipment and ingredients provided, and a recipe book to take home. Vegetarian options are available; children from age six are welcome.

The Experience

You start with a pickup from your hotel in Chiang Mai's old city, then head to a local fresh market where the instructor shows you how to pick the ingredients you'll cook with. After the market tour, you arrive at the open-air kitchen in a countryside setting—an AC studio that keeps you comfortable in Thailand's heat. A welcome drink arrives, and then you move to your own cooking station, where you'll spend the next few hours making six Thai dishes from a menu you customize yourself. You pick one curry paste from three options (green, Panang, or Massaman), one curry to cook, one noodle dish (Pad Thai, drunken noodle, or thick noodle with soy), one soup (Tom Yum, Tom Kha, or hot and sour with chicken), one dessert (sticky rice with mango, banana in coconut milk, or sago balls), and one appetizer (spring rolls or papaya salad).

The instructor teaches you at your station, so you get personalized attention in the small group. You taste each dish as you finish it, and the cooking happens in a peaceful garden setting that feels more traditional than a city kitchen. All the ingredients, equipment and instruction are included; you just bring an empty stomach and the willingness to learn. By the end of the class, you'll have cooked a full meal and tasted everything you made.

The class runs either morning (8:30 AM to 2:00 PM) or evening (3:30 PM to 9:00 PM), and you get a recipe book with instructions for each dish so you can cook them again at home. The hotel return is included, and free Wi-Fi is available at the studio. If you want to bring someone along to watch, observers can join for 400 THB cash per person.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and return within Chiang Mai's old city.
• fresh market tour with the instructor.
• welcome drink, coffee, tea and herbal drinks.
• your own cooking station with all equipment and ingredients.
• instruction in cooking six Thai dishes.
• tasting of each dish you make.
• recipe book.
• snacks.
• access to the photo gallery on the studio's Facebook page.
• free Wi-Fi.

Good to know

Public transport nearby

Operated by Lanna Smile Thai cooking

Is this one for you?Book the morning class if you have a free morning and want to spend the afternoon exploring Chiang Mai after cooking; the evening slot works better if you arrive mid-day or want to cook and eat dinner as part of the experience. Bring children from age six along—they can cook at their own station or watch for 400 THB cash if they'd rather observe.

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Top questions

What happens at the market tour before the cooking class starts?

The market tour is where you and the instructor walk through a local fresh market in Chiang Mai to select the ingredients you'll use in your cooking class. The instructor teaches you how to pick quality produce and herbs, so you understand what goes into authentic Thai dishes before you cook them.

Can I choose which dishes to cook, or is the menu set?

You choose your own menu by picking one option from each category—curry paste, curry, noodles, soup, dessert and appetizer—so you can customize which six dishes you cook based on what you want to learn and taste.

How many people are in the class, and do I get my own cooking station?

The class is semi-private with a maximum of eight to ten people, and each person has their own cooking station, so you get personalized attention from the instructor while you cook.

Is hotel pickup included, and does it work for hotels outside the old city?

Hotel pickup and return are included, but only within Chiang Mai's old city. If your hotel is outside that area, public transportation options are available nearby the studio.

What if I'm vegetarian or have dietary restrictions?

Vegetarian options are available—let the operator know at the time of booking what you need, and they'll adjust your menu so you can cook dishes that suit your diet.

What time should I arrive, and how long does the whole class take?

The class runs for five hours total, with two time slots available: morning from 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM, or evening from 3:30 PM to 9:00 PM. Come with an empty stomach so you have room to taste all six dishes you cook.