12 days in Thailand 1/7- 1/28/2025

Day 3-Chiang Mai-1/9/2025

Today we flew from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.

We checked into Bodhi Serene Chiang Mai, a charming boutique hotel tucked inside the old city walls.  The property blends traditional Lanna architecture with modern comfort, creating a peaceful oasis just steps from the lively streets of the historic center.

The hotel grounds are intimate and beautifully maintained, with a small garden courtyard and a serene pool area that make it an ideal place to unwind after a day of exploring.

Patio on the second floor.

Swimming pool

 Our room was spacious and calm, decorated with warm wood tones, soft lighting, and Thai-inspired details that gave it an elegant yet relaxed atmosphere.

After a short rest, a bus picked us up directly from the hotel for a half-day Thai cooking class at Smile Organic Farm Cooking School. Once everyone was on board, our first stop was a small local market where we received a brief introduction to the fresh produce and ingredients that form the foundation of Thai cuisine.

Our instructor talking about fresh produce in the market.

Here we are checking out a fruit stall in the market.

From the market, the bus dropped us off the property. When we arrived at Smile Organic Farm Cooking School, we were surprised by how large the cooking facility was.

The main cooking area is a spacious open-air pavilion with a roof overhead but open sides, allowing plenty of fresh air to flow through while everyone cooks.

The setup includes many individual cooking stations arranged in rows, making it easy for multiple groups to work at the same time.

We were giving a menu and we were asked to select 3 dishes from 3 sections: Curry, Stir-fried, and soup.

Our group consisted of 12 people, and just behind us there was another group of 12 beginning their class as well. The cooking area alone looked large enough to accommodate at least three groups of that size simultaneously, suggesting the school can easily host 60 to 80 participants in a day. Despite the scale, the space still felt organized and relaxed, with plenty of room for everyone to cook comfortably.

We all put a pink apron, a straw hat,  and we are headed to the organic garden, located just behind the cooking school area.

Walking in the organic garden.

In the garden at Smile Organic Farm Cooking School, we were introduced to several of the fresh ingredients commonly used in Thai cuisine.

Our instructor showing us the herbs that is growing in the garden.

We saw different varieties of eggplants, including the long slender ones and the small round Thai eggplants that are often used in curries.

Two different types of eggplant.

Hoa picking Thai Basil

There were also chili plants.  One plant that caught our attention looked like a small lemon tree, but we learned that the fruit is not typically eaten. Instead, the highly aromatic leaves are widely used in Thai cooking. This plant is known as Kaffir Lime (also called makrut lime), and its fragrant leaves are an essential ingredient that adds a distinctive citrusy aroma to many Thai soups, curries, and stir-fries.

The walk through the garden was a great way to see where many of the flavors in Thai food actually begin, fresh from the plants themselves.

We are now back inside and our instructor is showing us how to make vegetarian egg roll.

Our instructor demonstrating how to prepare vegetarian egg rolls.  It is really cool to see how she use the pan and lit it up by making contact with the burning flames.

She is finished with the cooking and she is dividing it into 2 dishes for all of us to use to wrap.

We starting to prep to wrap the egg roll and also cutting the vegetable for the Pad Thai.

Once all the vegetables are cut, the stove is turned on.

Hoa prepping and using the cooked ingredients that our instructor cooked to make an egg roll.

Peeping for Pad Thai.  The first step is to cook the aromatics an shrimp.

Once the shrimps are cooked, vegetables, noodles, eggs are added.

Hoa finishing his Pad Thai.  He did a really good job!

Here is the Pad Thai with shrimps, and the vegetarian eggroll we cooked.

Next,  we are making a green curry with chicken.  Hoa cutting the green beans, and Thai eggplant.

Here the group is sitting down to make the curry paste.

Thai curry paste is made with fresh vegetables.

To make the curry we had to put all the vegetables in a mortar and we had to mash everything.

It was quite a workout!  The curry paste is done.  We choose green, but some people in the group choose red.

Back to our station make the curry dish

First we have to cook the curry paste with a bit of coconut milk.

Once the curry is melted, chicken is added and cooked for a few minutes.

Then the vegetables are added with some more coconut milk, and then it is cooked for a few minutes.

Hoa finishing his green curry.

Green curry with chicken.

Taking our dishes to the dinning table.

Next, we are cooking the last dish.

We selected to make a simple Thai chicken soup.

Platting the soup and we are done with cooking.

Here are the two dishes we made: Green curry with chicken, and Thai chicken soup.

All the cooking are done now and we are taking our dishes to the dinning table.

Once everything was ready, we all sat down together in a relaxed open-air setting to enjoy the delicious meal we had prepared ourselves.

 We really had a wonderful time during the cooking class at Smile Organic Farm Cooking School. It was especially fun for Hoa, who normally doesn’t cook at all, yet he did surprisingly well with every dish. Seeing him confidently preparing the ingredients and cooking alongside everyone else made the experience even more enjoyable.

It was also lovely to spend the afternoon with the young people in our group. The relaxed atmosphere made it easy to chat, laugh, and share the experience together. One of the funniest moments came when Hoa proudly announced to everyone that his Pad Thai was the best. His playful confidence made the whole group laugh and added to the lighthearted spirit of the class. By the end of the session, it felt less like a class and more like a fun gathering of friends cooking and enjoying Thai food together.

After the meal, the group was driven back to our hotel, ending a memorable first afternoon in Chiang Mai filled with flavors, aromas, and a deeper appreciation for Thai cuisine.

NEXT... Day 4- Pratu Chiang Mai Market(coming soon)