Welcome to Amita Thai Cooking Class

About Your Thai Cooking Class

Amita Thai Cooking class is located within the landscape of the Chao Phraya River, on the bank of the water arteries that run through the old town of Bangkok. The name Amita is a Sanskrit word that literally means everlasting or eternity. We welcome you with Thai culture reflected in the intricate details of the architecture, the delicious fruits fresh from the trees in the garden, the simplicity of Thai living styles by the river and the generous smiles of Thai people. And yes, the pleasures of Thai cooking.

At Amita Thai Cooking Class, you will learn how to prepare and cook many favorite Thai dishes from our extensive list of recipes such as Khang Keaw Wan Gai (Green Curry Chicken in Coconut Milk), Phad Thai (Stir fried soft rice noodles with prawns and tamarind sauce) and Tom Yum Goong (Clear hot and sour soup with fresh prawns).

Classes are completely hands-on, encouraging you to practice Thai cooking techniques. Our instructors will introduce you to Thai cuisines and explain the four delicious dishes you will be cooking, before leading you through our nursery herb garden to pick first-handedly fresh Thai ingredients for your dishes. Among the plant varieties found in the school's garden are guinea pepper, holy basil, kaffir lime, piper sarmentosum, plate brush and Thai basil.

Our instructors will then present a cooking demonstration and provide tasting samples. At your personal cooking station, the instructors will guide you through the recipe step-by-step as you cook the dish.

At the end of the class, a delicious four-course meal prepared by you, will be set up for lunch at our Thai style veranda overlooking the canal. The place is well shaded by many mango, star fruit and rose apple trees.

Traveling to Amita Thai Cooking Class will be equally special. Our car will pick you up and drive through the old parts of Bangkok to Maharaj Pier. From the private boat, you will enjoy the sights and sounds of the Chao Phraya River, such as the Royal Grand Palace and the Temple of Dawn. The boat will turn into Bangkok Yai canal, where you will see many homes still traditionally by the water including the residence where we are located.

We are happy to cater to your food allergies or food preferences, please call us directly so that we can confirm with you the substituting dishes or ingredients. Private cooking classes can be organized to meet your party's need.

Complimentary pick up and drop off services by our car are provided for locations in Central Bangkok. Estimated pick up time is between 8.00-8.30 am and our drop off service leaves Amita Thai Cooking Class at around 1.15-1.30 pm. After the completion of the cooking classes, we will drop you off at your hotel or shopping center of your choice.

We look forward to welcoming you to Amita Thai Cooking Class, where you will learn and experience the culinary pleasures of Thai cuisine

About Your Host

Tam Piyawadi Jantrupon is the owner and instructor of Amita Thai Cooking Class. She uses the home where she was born and grew up to share her love of Thai cooking. The area is surrounded with homes of relatives dating back for more that 3 generations.

The school is located in the old Bangkok area next to the canal. This area is suitable for growing vegetables and Thai herbs used in teaching and flavoring Thai dishes. Tam's love for Thai culture, arts and cooking started in this home where she watched her grandmother and aunts prepare authentic meals from picking vegetables from the garden to various steps of preparation. Both of her relatives were the teachers at the first official home science school in Thailand, "Home Science Secondary School". With a passion of cooking, Tam had additional training and education from a culinary school and famous Thai food masters whenever she could find time to improve her skill for Thai dishes.

Following completion of her bachelor’s degree in Law from Thammasat University, she was employed as Legal officer at Tourism Authority of Thailand for several years. As a spouse of a Thai official, she has spent considerable time abroad.  In the 1980’s, Tam lived in Los Angeles, and had the opportunity to cook for the Thai community and diplomats. She was asked to teach Thai cooking to American families and friends, who were amazed at how simple, easy and delicious the dishes were. This was the starting point of her interest to teach and share her knowledge of cooking.  While living abroad, Tam creatively sought substitutes for local spices in order to achieve an authentic Thai taste.

Additional experiences and information about Tam:

• Graduated from the Fashion Institute and Design and Merchandising and worked for few years with a fashion firm in Los Angeles.
• Experienced performer of Thai mask dancing or Ramayana Plays and Thai classical dance.
• A collector of Thai arts, antiques and objects.
• Spends her free time playing Thai musical instruments such as ranard ….
• Tam’s philosophy is to share her experience of true Thai home cooking in a relaxing environment.  The school is surrounded by herbs and fruit garden along a canal, in the midst of a true Thai lifestyle and culture.