Thai Cooking Class in Khao Lak by Amazon Prime Series Chef

Chef Wandee Rathanapan is the cook behind this Khao Lak class, and her background is part of the draw — she’s worked in Thailand, New Zealand, and Iceland across more than a decade, and recently served as teacher for the two finalists on Amazon Prime’s The World Cook Season 2. What that means in practice is someone who can teach technique in English, and who thinks about how to make Thai recipes actually reproducible when you get home.

The class runs in an open-air kitchen set in a garden at Khao Lak Center. It starts with a guided market tour, where Wandee picks out the fresh herbs, seafood, and produce you’ll use that session — useful for learning what kaffir lime leaves and holy basil look like before they’re chopped into oblivion. Back at the kitchen, each guest gets their own cooking station with a gas stove, cutting board, knives, mortar, and apron. The dishes lean traditional: curries built from scratch, fresh coconut milk pressed from grated meat, and the foundational pastes pounded rather than shortcut-blended. Gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian options are built in — not afterthoughts. Hotel pickup and drop-off across the Khao Lak area, bottled water, ingredients, and lunch are included.

Four hours, easy difficulty, up to 10 people. Small group size keeps it genuinely hands-on and gives Wandee time to walk between stations. The class works with kids as well as adults — she’s used to teaching children. Closed shoes are sensible for the market walk; the floors get wet. Alcoholic drinks aren’t in the price but are available to buy.

Book ahead in high season (November to February). The operator sends video recipe tutorials after the class, which are genuinely useful when you’re trying to reconstruct the green curry paste from memory six months later.