Meet
Aoy (Floating Market)
Meet Aoy, a passionate chef and devoted yoga enthusiast, who pours heart and soul into everything she does, especially when preparing exquisite, authentic Thai dishes. After spending a decade abroad, Aoy returned to Thailand to share her love of Thai cuisine with travelers, opening a charming restaurant for locals in her own home and dedicating herself to teaching cooking classes to visitors from around the world.
Her lush property sits along the scenic banks of the Tha Chin River in Nakhon Pathom Province, surrounded by vibrant local herbs and produce that she uses daily in her cooking. This one-of-a-kind experience offers the chance to explore the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market and Railway Track Market with a warm, fun-loving local celebrity.
What to expect
Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.
In-home meal:
(2-6 guests)
Dine on Aoy’s beautifully presented Thai dishes, crafted from family recipes and local herbs, in her riverside home’s air-conditioned dining room or outdoors if weather permits. Enjoy flavorful dishes like red curry with roasted duck or muu phad grachhay and her signature somtam lood followed by a house-made dessert. Please note her home also hosts a small restaurant, so there may be a few patrons during your meal but your experience will remain private.
Cooking experience:
(2-6 guests)
After a scenic boat ride along the Tha Chin River, you’ll arrive at Aoy’s tranquil, riverside home - a lush garden retreat where you’ll be welcomed with a refreshing drink and the warm hospitality of one of Thailand’s most celebrated chefs. Step into Aoy’s professional kitchen studio (also used by her restaurant team) or her charming open-air garden kitchen, and prepare to dive into a hands-on cooking experience like no other. Under Aoy’s expert guidance, you’ll learn to cook two of her favorite Thai dishes from scratch, using fresh, locally sourced herbs and ingredients.
As you chop, pound, and stir alongside Aoy, she’ll share her deep knowledge of Thai culinary traditions, her love for local flavors, and plenty of laughs. This immersive class is more than just a lesson - it’s a joyful, cultural exchange with a passionate host who’s excited to share her heritage through food. After cooking, enjoy the meal you helped prepare along with other dishes with your host Aoy.
Market visit:
(2-6 guests)
Embark on an unforgettable full-day culinary adventure in Bangkok led by Aoy, winner of Iron Chef Thailand. Your journey begins with a morning pickup from your Bangkok hotel, followed by a guided tour of two of Thailand’s most iconic markets: the Maeklong Railway Market, set dramatically along an active train track, and the vibrant Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. Along the way, enjoy tastings of local breakfast delights, fresh fruit, tea, and coffee. Next, you’ll be driven to the scenic banks of the Tha Chin River, where a private boat will take you on a peaceful ride to Aoy’s riverside home.
Sample Itinerary (subject to change):
7:00 am: Aoy picks you up from your Bangkok hotel
8:15 am - 10:30 am: Guided tour of the Maeklong Railway Market and Damnoen Floating Market, including tea, coffee, breakfast, and fruit tastings
11:30 am - 12:00 pm: Scenic boat ride with Aoy to her riverside home, with time to refresh
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm: Authentic Thai cooking class with Aoy
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm: Enjoy the dishes you've prepared for lunch
4:00 pm: Arrive back at your hotel
Notes:
1. Private, round-trip transfers from Bangkok are included in the cost of your experience.
2. Aoy can accommodate vegetarian and other dietary restrictions. Please inform her in advance to ensure a tailored experience that meets your dietary needs.
3. The Maeklong Railway Market is an adventurous, dynamic market where vendors quickly move their awnings and shop fronts when a train approaches, creating a unique and thrilling experience.
Languages spoken:
English, Thai, German
Sample menu
Traveler reviews
Day 90, Bangkok: Ms. Aoy, winner of Iron Chef Thailand 2023 reality show, was our host and guide for our Thai market and cooking experience, a gift from our awesome TA Tami. We have now met Le Ly's Thai doppelganger - a strong-willed, non-stop, passionate asian woman - a cross between an energizer bunny and an Italian momma pushing food. We ate waaaay too much and sometimes struggled to keep up with her fast paced walking. After a short boat ride passing riverside homes and businesses, we arrived at Damoen Floating Market where Aoy's love of food was first revealed. "You have to try this" was the refrain - deep fried bananas, white rice with pork, a noodle soup, creamy coconut, coconut pancakes. We tried to eat all this delicious food and show respect to the vendors she clearly knew well, but there was so so much of it. And that was only the beginning. As we walked along pathways, she picked herbs and fruit for us to taste, items we would have walked right by. We proceeded to Rai Khing, the village just outside Bangkok where Aoy grew up. She left for 20 years to work in tourism, but was drawn back by her love of the cooking she learned from her mother. On the way, she had the driver pull over at a roadside stand to buy grapes and longans for us to bring back to the ship (she insisted) and purchased two grapevines to add to her garden at home, proudly sharing how cheap they were. The village market was a beehive of activity - clean, bright, and welcoming. Sample after sample of fruits, herbs, nuts, and other delicacies were offered, all as Aoy conversed with her friends and neighbors in Thai. She had mentioned that we would take her boat from the market to her restaurant...but we didn't expect HER to be driving it. A signboard with our names welcomed us at Aoywaan Riverside dock and cold cloths wrapped around fresh herbs were presented with instructions to snap the branches and squeeze to release the juices into the cloth. The pungent aromas made the cool cloths even more refreshing. I had mentioned seeing workers in a Cambodian restaurant making decorations from Lotus buds. At our table was a vase of lotus buds for an impromptu lesson in lotus bud folding - she had called ahead for her staff to gather some. After donning our hats and aprons, we proceeded with our cooking lessons, preparing green curry, mango salad, pad Thai, and sticky rice - all from scratch. An ingredient review had us smelling and tasting samples of each item in their raw forms, all laid out with labels for our learning. No modern blenders - everything ground and blended using mortar and pestle. It takes a surprising amount of physical strength to do it. When I got tired and Aoy took over, she pounded so hard and fast that pieces were flying out the sides! Soon it was time to taste our masterpieces - so delicious and fresh. A surprise birthday dessert and a rousing rendition of happy birthday by her whole staff ended an amazing afternoon. After fond farewells, and with a bag of fruits and goodies that we could hardly carry, we departed for the four hour ride to meet our ship. No Azamazing Evening for us, despite best laid plans. The thought of getting on a bus for a 45 min ride - no way! We stayed on board, happy to be home after a week away.
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tami
April 07, 2026
I'm a Frosch travel advisor and booked this experience for my clients. Art and Karen LOVED their experience with Aoy.
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Sarah, Signature Travel Advisor
February 06, 2026
