As so many visitors love to eat Thai food, it’s unsurprising that many would want to learn Thai cooking too. Thai cooking classes range from one day fun courses to extensive chef training programs, both of which can be equally fun and informative.

Most Thai cooking classes begin with a tour of a local market to see where everyday Thai’s purchase the many exotic ingredients that are used in Thai cooking. A good tour leader from a reputable Thai cooking school will not only explain the ingredients to you, he or she will also explain what substitute ingredients you can find in your home grocery store.

Once back at the cooking school, instructors will demonstrate the process of preparing each course, after which students will try Thai cooking on their own while the instructor observes. Students typically get to choose up to five dishes and normally cook the entire meal themselves; however, this varies somewhat from school to school as many do not require you to pound your own chili paste, a mandatory ingredient for many Thai dishes, including curries.

After cooking in the morning, your meals will be served to you for lunch, and if you’ve done your work well, you should have a large and fulfilling meal. Students at most Thai cooking schools get to keep their recipe books and souvenir aprons. Many Thai cooking schools also have take-home packages of Thai spices and curry paste.