For our first day in Bangkok, we decided to take a cookery class. Having scoured the internet seeking cookery school (there are hundreds, if not thousands), we decided to book a half day class at the Bangkok Thai Cooking Academy.

Cookery lessons cost 1,400 Baht/person (£30 at the time of booking). Lasting four hours, they include a tour of a local market and tuition in cooking five dishes of your choosing. You can pick your dishes at the time of booking, or on the day. Up to 14 students at a time can be accommodated, each cooking the five dishes of their choice.

We took the Sky Train to Bang Chak station, where we were met by our guides who took us to the nearby food market before heading to the cookery school.

The ingredients for each dish are laid out for you, and the tutor talks you through each step of the dish, one dish at a time. Once you have prepared the dish, you take it over to your cooking station. Repeat until all dishes are prepared… now the fun begins!

Cooking on gas is not something I enjoy. I admit to being rather petrified of the stove at home, and when on official Duke of Edinburgh chef duty I rely heavily on my colleagues to light the stove/Trangia. My own attempts often end in a flurry of expletives and high pitched squeals, whilst I begging any passers-by to help me.

However, the fear of gas (possibly arising from too many late night viewings of that 90s classic ‘London’s Burning’?) is quickly overcome when you realise that yes, you are cooking real Thai food on your own!

The finished products: