Phuket Thai Cooking Class: Curry Paste & Market Tour

You Make the Curry Paste Yourself, the Way Locals Do

You'll spend a half or full day learning to cook four to five Thai dishes, grinding curry paste by hand, and tasting ingredients at the local market (on full-day classes). The chef speaks English, you cook at your own station, and you take home recipes plus any leftovers from lunch. Free round-trip transfer from your hotel beach area is included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Thai cooking class with market tour

• Arrive at cooking school
• Receive cooking instructions
• Learn about Thai ingredients
• Make curry paste from scratch
• Chop and cook dishes yourself
• Prepare Tom Yum Soup and Phad Thai
• Prepare Red or Green Curry and Mango sticky rice
• Enjoy fruit tasting at local market
• Eat your freshly cooked meal
• Take home leftovers if any

The experience

The kitchen smells like lemongrass and garlic before you even tie on an apron. You're standing at your own cooking station in Phuket Thai Cooking by VJ, a small, clean space where the chef, fluent in English, walks you through each step without hovering. The first thing you'll do is grind curry paste from scratch using a mortar and pestle, no pre-made jars, no MSG. Your hands do the work. It takes longer than you'd think, and by the time you're done, you understand why the flavor tastes different from what you make at home.

If you book the class with the market tour, you'll start earlier and head out to the local market with your chef, who points out the vegetables and fruits most tourists walk past without seeing. You taste things (dragon fruit, rambutan, herbs you don't have names for yet), and learn which stalls sell what. Then back in the kitchen, you cook three dishes: usually Tom Yum soup, Pad Thai, and either a red or green curry, depending on the day. Everything goes into your own pot. You chop, you stir, you taste as you go. The chef answers questions about ingredients and shows you what to use instead if you can't find something back home.

Lunch is what you cooked. You eat it fresh, take home what's left, and leave with printed recipes and the muscle memory of how to do this again. The class runs with small groups, and hotel pickup is free from Kata, Karon, Patong, and a few other beaches. They'll collect you and bring you back. Bring water and an appetite. Both are unlimited.

What’s included

• Your class includes all ingredients for cooking, your own private cooking station, step-by-step instruction in English, lunch made from your dishes, unlimited bottled water and tea or coffee throughout the day, printed recipes mailed after the class, and free round-trip hotel transfer from select beach areas (Kata, Karon, Patong, Rawai, Naiharn.
• minimum 2 people). If you book the market tour option, you'll also visit the local market, taste exotic fruits and vegetables, and learn to identify ingredients with your chef.

Options for this experience

4 options

Regular Class without MarketGuide in English · 11:30 and 16:00Lasts 2 hours 30 minutes. Regular course includes Tom Yum Soup, Pad Thai, red and green curries, Phanang and Masaman (varies by day), with curry paste made from scratch, and Mango Sticky Rice. Pickup note: free round-trip transfer from Kata, Kata Noi and Karon. Pickup is included.

Standard class including a market visitGuide in English · 11:00 and 15:30Lasts 3 hours. Regular course includes Tom Yum Soup, Pad Thai, red and green curries, Phanang and Masaman (varies by day), with curry paste made from scratch, and Mango Sticky Rice. Pickup note: free round-trip transfer from Kata, Kata Noi and Karon, plus free round-trip transfer from Patong, Rawai and Naiharn (minimum 2 people). Pickup is included.

Favorite course with a market visitGuide in English · 11:00 and 15:30Lasts 3 hours. Course Favorite with Market includes Pineapple Fried Rice, Stir-Fried Morning Glory, Fish Cakes, and Fried Prawns with Garlic. Pickup is included.

Advanced class including a market visitGuide in English · 11:00 and 15:30Lasts 3 hours. Advanced course includes Crab Curry, Chicken Satay, Prawns in Tamarind Sauce, and Steamed Fish with Garlic and Lime. Pickup is included.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 11:00, 11:30, 15:30 and 16:00

Book up to3h before

AgesAdult (9 to 80 years) · Under 9: can't be included in the booking

GroupUp to 20

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 14 days ago

Good to know

Public transport nearby

Operated by Phuket Thai Cooking Class by Chef VJ

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to learn Thai cooking hands-on and take the knowledge home: the small group size and one-on-one station setup mean you're actually cooking, not watching, and the free hotel pickup removes the logistics of getting there.

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Top questions

Do I need cooking experience to take this class?

No. The chef teaches step-by-step and adjusts the pace for beginners. Everyone works at their own station.

What if I'm vegetarian or have dietary restrictions?

The class offers vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and halal options. Let them know when you book.

Is the market tour included in all classes?

No. Some classes are kitchen-only. Others include a trip to the local market for ingredient shopping and fruit tasting. Choose when you book.

How long does the class take?

Half-day classes (kitchen only) and full-day classes (with market tour) are available. The itinerary specifies the duration when you select your option.

Do I get the recipes?

Yes. Recipes are emailed to you after the class so you can cook at home.

Is hotel pickup really free?

Free round-trip transfer is included from Kata, Kata Noi, Karon, Patong, Rawai, and Naiharn (minimum 2 people). Kamala and Surin beaches meet at Hard Rock Cafe Patong.

Can I take leftovers home?

Yes. You eat lunch fresh, and any remainder goes home with you.

What dishes will I cook?

The menu varies by class level. Classic options include Tom Yum soup, Pad Thai, and curry. Advanced classes teach crab curry, chicken satay, and fish dishes.