Siam Garden Cooking School

Siam Garden Cooking School teaches in an organic garden at Pa Phai in San Sai, about 20 km north of Chiang Mai, and at ฿800 it's one of the cheapest classes in the city. Each course starts with a visit to a local market and the school's garden, and then you cook six dishes at your own wok, choosing from the curry paste, curry, stir-fry, soup, appetizer and dessert categories, so the people beside you can cook a different menu.

The morning course runs 09:30 to 14:00 with pickup between 09:00 and 09:30, and the later course runs 14:30 to 19:30. Both cost ฿800 a person, with transport from central Chiang Mai included and a 10% discount for booking with the school directly. A private class costs ฿2,400 a person and adds a seventh dish. Non-cooking visitors pay ฿400, and children are priced on request.

All the dishes can be made vegetarian or vegan, and the school sends a full-color recipe book to download. It runs every day of the year. To cancel without paying, the reservation page asks for two days' notice.