The tastiest way to repeat the dishes at home: a three-hour Thai cooking class with a market tour and hotel pickup. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on the listing.
See the class on GetYourGuideAffiliate links: booking through them may earn us a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Tastes of Thailand with kids at a glance
| Oh-Hoo Thai cooking class with market tour | Price on the listing; free cancellation up to 24 hours before | Three-hour class with hotel pickup; kids cook | GetYourGuide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holiday Inn Resort Samui Bophut Beach | Price on the listing | Kids Stay and Eat Free; kids club free to age 12 | Expedia |
Affiliate links: booking through them may earn us a commission, at no extra cost to you.
We ate our way through Thailand with the kids and learned three things fast: the default is spicy, the sweet street snacks are very sweet, and one famous fruit is not welcome in many hotels. Here are the four things our family kept coming back to: basil chicken, roti, a fruit plate and durian.
At a glance
| Basil chicken | Spicy by default. Ask for "mai phet". About 50 to 70 baht at local stalls (July 2026). |
|---|---|
| Roti | Roti may contain gluten, milk and egg; ask about both the batter and the toppings. If someone has an allergy, also ask about contact with other foods during preparation. Sweet from condensed milk. |
| Fruit plate | Papaya, pineapple, watermelon, dragon fruit, small bananas. |
| Durian | Strong smell. Not allowed in many hotels or on Bangkok buses. |
Basil chicken with rice (pad krapow gai)
This became our default lunch across Thailand: minced chicken stir-fried with garlic, chilli and holy basil, served over rice, usually with a fried egg on top. It is meant to be hot, so we learned to say "mai phet" (not spicy) when we ordered for the kids, or "phet nit noi" for a little heat. A fried egg (kai dao) is a common add-on at about 5 to 15 baht. You can ask for the egg fully cooked. At neighbourhood stalls a plate costs roughly 50 to 70 baht as of July 2026, and tourist streets charge two to three times that.
Street roti with chocolate and condensed milk
The kids' undisputed favorite. Thai street roti is a thin, flaky flatbread fried on a griddle and sold as a dessert, and ours asked for it every single evening. The usual toppings are condensed milk, banana, egg or chocolate spread. The dough itself is barely sweet, so most of the sugar comes from the condensed milk. Roti may contain gluten, milk and egg; ask about both the batter and the toppings, and if someone has an allergy, also ask about contact with other foods during preparation. In central Thailand and Bangkok the sweet version is the one you will see most.
A tropical fruit plate
Our plate had papaya, pineapple, watermelon, dragon fruit and small bananas. It was the easiest thing to give a child who did not want anything spicy - zero negotiation needed. Hotel buffets and fruit stalls both sell it.
Durian: smell first, taste second
Durian stalls are easy to spot by the smell - the kids announced it before we saw the stall. The fruit is sold in boxes of ready-cut pieces. The Bangkok bus authority banned it on buses, and many hotels do not allow it in rooms, as we were politely reminded. Look for a "no durian" sign, or ask at reception, before you bring a box back. Children can try a small piece at the stall instead.
Cook it together
If your children enjoy this kind of food, a cooking class is a hands-on way to try it - ours made their own pad thai in one and talked about it for days. We wrote a separate guide on the Smiley Cook class in Koh Samui. That guide also links to a different bookable class, run by Oh-Hoo, with a market tour and hotel pickup. →
Where to stay: a family resort on Bophut Beach
If you have not booked a hotel on Koh Samui yet, Holiday Inn Resort Samui Bophut Beach is one family option. Its website lists the Jungle's Book Kids Club, free for hotel guests up to age 12 (children under 4 stay with a parent or babysitter), and a Kids Stay and Eat Free program under Holiday Inn policies. Before you book the class, confirm with the operator that your hotel is inside the pickup area. The listing says free hotel pickup from Chaweng and Chaweng Noi only (checked 15 October 2026), so if you stay elsewhere, for example in Bophut, ask about pickup before you book.
Holiday Inn Resort Samui Bophut Beach runs a free kids club up to age 12 and a Kids Stay and Eat Free program under Holiday Inn policies. Dates, prices and cancellation terms are shown on the listing. Booking through this link costs you nothing extra.
See Holiday Inn Resort Samui Bophut Beach on ExpediaAffiliate links: booking through them may earn us a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Questions
Is Thai basil chicken spicy?
Yes by default. Ask for it "mai phet" (requesting no spice) or "phet nit noi" (a little spice), and add a fried egg.
Is roti safe for a child with allergies?
Roti may contain gluten, milk and egg; ask about both the batter and the toppings. If someone has an allergy, also ask about contact with other foods during preparation.
Can I bring durian to my hotel room?
Many hotels in Thailand do not allow it, and the Bangkok bus authority bans it on buses. Check the hotel rules or ask at reception first.
Hands-on option: the Koh Samui Thai cooking class with market tour (operator Oh-Hoo, about 3 hours, hotel pickup, free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead, listing checked 8 October 2026). Dates, prices and cancellation terms are shown on the listing. Booking through this link costs you nothing extra.
See the Koh Samui cooking class on GetYourGuideAffiliate links: booking through them may earn us a commission, at no extra cost to you.