Hua Hin: Thai Cooking Class & 100-Year Market Walk with Pickup

Summary

Thai food culture comes alive at Hua Hin market then in a teak house kitchen

You’ll wander Hua Hin’s bustling 100-year-old market with a local guide before learning to cook classic Thai dishes like Pad Thai and Tom Yum Goong in a traditional teak house. Expect hands-on lessons, shared laughs over dessert mishaps, and real insight into Thai food culture — plus recipes to bring home.

What’s the experience like?

We were already elbow-deep in green curry paste before I realized how much I’d been grinning. The morning started somewhere between the scent of kaffir lime leaves and the chatter of vendors at Hua Hin’s old Talad Chat Chai market — our guide, Nok, weaving us through baskets of lemongrass and fish sauce bottles. She handed me a bunch of tiny eggplants (I’d never seen them that color) and showed us how to sniff for freshness. There was this moment when an old man selling chilies winked at me — maybe he knew I had no idea what I was doing. It didn’t matter.

Back at the teak house, which felt both airy and lived-in (the kind of place where you’d want to nap after lunch), we got right into chopping and pounding. My hands still smelled faintly of coriander roots hours later. Nok laughed when my mortar sent a splash of green curry paste onto my shirt — “good luck for cooking,” she said, though I’m not sure if that’s really a thing or just something she tells tourists. We made Pad Thai too, which tasted nothing like what I get back home — the noodles had this chewy bite, and the tamarind hit sharp and sweet at once.

The Tom Yum Goong was my favorite part, mostly because we all tried to pronounce it properly (I failed), but also because the shrimp broth somehow tasted like the sea and the market at once. Dessert was Khanom Lod Chong — those slippery green noodles in coconut milk — which Nok insisted we try to make by hand, even though mine came out looking more like little worms than noodles. She just shrugged and said they’d taste fine anyway.

I still think about that afternoon light slanting through the wooden shutters while we ate together, sweaty from cooking but happy. If you’re curious about Thai food or just want to see what everyday Hua Hin feels like with someone who knows everyone in the market, this day trip is worth it for the stories alone.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Thai cooking and market visit

• Visit Hua Hin 100-year-old market
• Learn about Thai ingredients
• Make Green Curry Paste
• Cook Green Curry with Chicken
• Prepare Tom Yum Goong soup
• Cook Pad Thai noodles
• Make Khanom Lod Chong dessert

Top questions

How long does the Hua Hin cooking class last?

The experience lasts around 4 hours from pickup to drop-off.

Is hotel pickup included for this Thai cooking class?

Yes, pickup and drop-off within Hua Hin town area are included.

What dishes will I learn during this cooking class?

You’ll make Green Curry Paste, Green Curry with Chicken (Gaeng Keaw Wan Gai), Pad Thai, Tom Yum Goong soup, and Khanom Lod Chong dessert.

Do I get recipes to take home after the class?

Yes, you’ll receive a recipe booklet as part of your experience.

Is lunch included in this Hua Hin cooking tour?

Yes, lunch is included after you cook your dishes.

Are infants or small children allowed on this activity?

Infants and small children can join; prams or strollers are allowed.

Can I bring my service animal?

Yes, service animals are allowed on this tour.

Is public transportation nearby for getting to the meeting point?

Yes, there are public transportation options available nearby.

What’s included

Your day includes pickup and drop-off within Hua Hin town area, shopping together at Talad Chat Chai market with your guide’s help, all ingredients for four classic Thai dishes plus dessert, bottled water and snacks along the way, coffee or tea at the teak house kitchen table after lunch, a recipe booklet to keep experimenting back home—and even a certificate if you care about those things.