IF you really want to impress your dinner guests, learn to cook Thai food.

I went along to Pat’s Thai Cookery class in Chalong to learn how to cook Thai food at home.

Pat’s Thai house is off the main road, so it’s quiet, and she has a small garden area where you can time out from your cooking lesson to catch your breath and relax.

Pat, who grew up in Bangkok, started the cookery school back in 1996 after spending eight years in California where she worked as a chef.

She noticed that Thai food had become very popular around the world during the past ten years, and she saw a golden business opportunity.

Her day classes run from 9.30am until 1pm, Monday to Saturday, and cost between 1500 and 1900 baht, which includes all ingredients.

But the best bit is you get to eat your five delicious dishes for lunch each day.

Pat’s Home Thai cookery course was the first in Phuket, and now tourists from all around the world are signing up for her five-day courses.

She also runs separate advanced cookery classes for professional chefs which usually take between five and seven days, depending on requirements.

Our class started with a cold lemon grass welcome drink, we were given our aprons, and told to wash our hands while Pat explained the five Thai dishes we were about to cook.

All of the hard work, including the preparation and washing up, was done by Pat’s Thai staff, which made the dishes quick and easy to cook.

Pat speaks perfect English and she gave us clear instructions that were easy to follow.

We started off preparing the filling for the Thai spring rolls, and then moved on to Tom Yum Kung (hot and sour shrimp soup), Som Tum (Papaya Salad), Green Chicken Curry, and Bananas in Coconut Milk.

Rolling the spring rolls was a little tricky, but we all managed it with a little help from Pat, and then we deep fried them in vegetable oil.

Pat explained how to check if the oil was the right temperature.

We then cooked the soup and grated vegetables to make a Thai spicy salad.

Next came the chicken curry, and we learned how to make fresh coconut cream which turned out to be surprisingly easy.

All of the five dishes were easy to make and they all tasted delicious.

After the class, Pat’s assistants laid the dining table and we sat down and ate lunch together.

Everyone in the class was given recipe hand-outs and a certificate to say they had completed the course.

Some of Pat’s courses include a guided tour of a local Thai market, and tips on how to buy the best produce.

Pat takes great pride in picking fresh local produce, and even makes her own coconut milk rather than buying it from the market.

She also explained how Thai women stay so slim.

Most Thai people eat many times a day, but only eat small portions, she said.

Thai salads and soups are also particularly good for weight control.

If you want to stay Thai-slender, her advice is to eat Thai salads and soups, eat small portions of healthy food throughout the day, and avoid rice and coconut milk.

When choosing meat, feel it to make sure it’s not too soft, and avoid meat which is covered in flies.

When choosing fruits such as Pomelo, look for pieces with bigger segments.

If the weight of the fruit seems heavier than other fruits, this is a good sign, because it means it contains more juice.

For further information about Pat’s cooking classes, call 0815 388 276, visit www.phuket.com/dining/index_cooking,htm, or email