Learn to cook Thai food on Koh Chang
Even if you have no interest in cooking at home, or that food preparation begins and ends at finding the Pizza Hut delivery number, think again. Taking a class at a Thai cooking school on Koh Chang can be fun way to spend a day away from the beach.
As of mid-2023, the main places to learn are at Napalai Thai Cooking School, Kati Culinary and Koh Chang Thai Cooking School. ( At the time of writing Blue Lagoon have yet to re-start their classes, but this should happen by late 2023 / early 2024. )
Learning to cook Thai food isn’t as daunting as it sounds. There are a handful of very good cooking schools on the island which provide classes daily. No-one expects you to be a masterchef by the end of the day. And although you will be making Thai dishes all by yourself, the instructor will be on hand to make sure you don’t embarrass yourself too badly.
If you think of the day as more of a social occasion with a few laughs and plenty of food thrown in you’ll be on the right track. Prior to stuffing your face, you’ll learn all you need to know about the ingredients, cooking techniques as well as presentation. Then make several well known Thai dishes under the guidance of the teacher. The dishes are usually a couple of starters, plus favourites such as Pad Thai and Green Curry as well as some traditional Thai desserts. At the end of the class you’ll also get a recipe book so you can attempt to re-create the dishes at home.
These classes are a gentle introduction to Thai cuisine and the English speaking Thai teachers ensure that you’ll have an enjoyable time. If you don’t know your way around a Thai menu before you start, you will by the end.
Koh Chang Cooking Schools
Napalai Thai Cuisine School
This cooking school manages to cram in three different classes each day. You can choose either a morning, an afternoon or an evening cooking course. All classes include a similar format – introduction to the ingredients and then a choice of starters, main courses and desserts to prepare. The evening class is the only cooking class on Koh Chang that teaches you how to prepare fish the Thai way.
This is currently the top rated Koh Chang cooking class on Tripadvisor , with teacher ‘Bunny’ getting rave reviews for her knowledge and bubbly, fun personality.
Morning pickup is at 8:30am, afternoon at 1:30pm, and evening at 5:00pm. There is a maximum of 8 people in the class.
Prices: Morning – 1,500 Baht, Afternoon – 1,200 Baht, Evening – 2,000 Baht
Contact on Facebook
Blue Lagoon, Klong Prao
Yaa, the owner of Blue Lagoon bungalows has also been teaching cooking classes in her purpose built kitchen by the river estuary for over 15 years. She has a wealth of experience and as well at being a great cook also prides herself on presenting the dishes in innovative ways. So your going to get some tips on food art as well as basic food preparation. ( Check the Facebook page for lots of photos. )
Unlike other Thai cooking schools, the same class isn’t repeated every day. There are various different classes, each focusing on different aspects of Thai cooking. So if you just want to try making some delicious Thai food, try the class that suits your tastes. Or if you are more serious about learning as much as possible about the local cuisine, you can take more than one class.
Choose from classes that specialise in Curries, Streetfood, Finger food, Dinners, Thai favourites or Amazing flavour harmonies
Each 4 hour class is priced at 2,000 Baht per person. This includes transport to/from your hotel and a cook book of Blue Lagoon recipes.
Contact via Facebook
Kati Culinary, Klong Prao
Ka-Ti Culinary is – in my opinion – one of the top 3 Thai restaurants on the island. Everything on the menu is home made. Unlike many restaurants, everything on the menu is fresh and home-made, including the curry pastes. you can definitely taste the difference this makes. The teacher, Ning, is one of the best you’ll find anywhere.
The cooking school is located in a large specially designed kitchen and teaching area behind the restaurant.
Classes run from around 10.30am to 3.30pm with maximum of 8 – 10 people.
Price: 1,500 Baht
Contact via Kati-Culinary.com or Facebook
Koh Chang Thai Cooking School
Nam is your teacher at Koh Chang Thai Cooking School and she guide to from novice cook to Thai food expert within the course of a few hours . ( Maybe not, but you’ll definitely have a far better understanding of what makes a great Thai dish by the time the class ends.)
There are three options for students to choose from when it comes to which dishes to prepare. Each has six different items – including popular red and green curries, soups such as Tom Yam Gung and Tom Ka Gai, and Thai salads plus desserts.
Classes run from 09:00 – 13:00 and 14:00 – 18:00. There is a maximum of 10 people in the class.
Price: 1,200 Baht
Contact by phone 081-362-7840 or https://www.facebook.com/kohchangthaicooking