About Me and How I Got Into Thai Cooking

At the market sourcing ingredients

Growing Up Cooking Thai Food

I have such fond memories growing up and cooking. As a child I loved to cook. My Mama started me off when I was young but by the time I was around twelve years old I was already trying my own recipes.

I would try to cook things I saw on TV or in cooking books. Always cooking by myself and always experimenting with different ingredients, trying my own variations of traditional dishes.

At university I was pretty popular within my circle of friends. Probably because I cooked for them all the time. They often told me my Thai cooking was delicious and this just inspired me to create complete menus for their evening meals, always thinking of new dishes to cook and always experimenting. I used my friends as testers, “try this, try that”. My friends loved me for this.

When I was 22, whilst working in a well known Khao Lak hotel I opened a restaurant, my first ever business. With help from Mama we cooked real Thai food. My restaurant become very popular with locals, scuba divers working in Khao Lak and even guests from the hotel where I worked during the daytime. All came to try my food and I got to know so many people here for the next four years.

Apple teaching at her Khao Lak Thai cooking class

Riverside Guesthouse and More Thai Cooking

After the Tsunami in 2004 worked dried up for me at the hotel as too did customers at my restaurant. These were hard years for business but at the same time I was busy starting my family.

Around five years after the Tsunami I open Riverside Guesthouse in Khao Lak which I still run now. Once again I had a kitchen and I was cooking once more. I have cooked here since the day I opened and really enjoy cooking for my guests.

So by now you have probably guessed that I love to cook. But what makes me the person to teach you about Thai Cooking? Well after university I worked as a teacher for a couple of years. I loved this teaching job. But it was far from home and I had to return to Khao Lak to care for my Mama. I could not find a new teaching job locally so I found the job at the hotel.

For me Riverside Thai Cooking is combining my two passions in life, cooking and teaching.

Apple's Khao Lak market tour

Hope You Want To Cook With Me

Since opening Riverside Guesthouse and subsequently Riverside Thai Cooking I have learnt to speak English well. I like to meet new people and share my experiences. I enjoy taking care and helping my guests and talking with them. I love to talk too!

I want happy smiling guests when they visit Khao Lak and Thailand. I find myself constantly offering tips, information and advice to travellers here. Even if they do not ask. I love to talk and I love to work in the hospitality business I have created for myself.

So knowing all that I really hope you will come and join me for some delicious Thai cooking.

Make a Reservation

If you are interested in my Thai Cooking Class please fill in the form below. My courses often get booked well in advance so do not delay.

    What dish would you like to learn to cook?

    Is there anything you do not like to eat?

    1st dish you like to learn to cook?

    2nd dish you like to learn to cook?

    1st dish you like to learn to cook?

    2nd dish you like to learn to cook?

    3rd dish you like to learn to cook?

    1st dish you like to learn to cook?

    2nd dish you like to learn to cook?

    3rd dish you like to learn to cook?

    4th dish you like to learn to cook?