cooking tour bangkok

Taste of Thailand: The Best Food Tours in Bangkok 2024

Experience the amazing flavors of Thailand and explore the culture of this beautiful country on our Taste of Thailand food tours.

• Trip Details

Accommodation Information

• Pricing & Tour Dates
• Culinary Vacations
• Cooking Vacations
• Taste of Thailand Culinary Vacation in Southeast Asia | The International Kitchen

Thai Cooking Classes in Bangkok & Chiang Mai

The capital city Bangkok is a bustling place, with roads packed with cars and noisy tuk tuks, pavements crammed with ramshackle food stalls, and shrines laden with fragrant flowers. In the north Chiang Mai is surrounded by hills and exhibits its distinctive Lanna inheritance through its architecture, handicrafts, and cuisine. Considered Thailand’s cultural hub, Chiang Mai is home to silk weavers, artists, and wood carvers.

Embark on a foodie tour in Bangkok to explore the diverse flavors of the city and take a cooking class in Chiang Mai to make a wealth of memories on our Taste of Thailand itinerary!

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The details of bangkok and chiang mai cooking vacations.

Your food tour in Bangkok and Chiang Mai includes accommodations and activities as per the itinerary. But we can easily customize your Thai food tour to suit your tastes and the length of stay desired. Contact us to start planning.

• 4 Night Itinerary

Order of activities subject to change depending on the specific dates.

• Arrival at Bangkok airport and transfer to your hotel.
• Free time to rest or explore, with dinner on your own.
• Overnight in Bangkok.
• Breakfast at hotel.
• Today, depart around 8:30 am to see the highlights of Bangkok. (Please note that proper attire is required: no bare shoulders or knees, no strap-heeled shoes. You will be required to remove shoes before entering all temples.) You will visit two of the most important sights of Bangkok, the Reclining Buddha at Wat Po—a giant supine Buddha covered in gold leaf—and the Grand Palace, a “must see” for every visitor to Thailand. Located near the banks of the Chao Phraya River, the Grand Palace is the perfect example of an ancient Siamese court. Within the compound you will find the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Pra Kaew).
• Lunch in a Thai restaurant.
• This afternoon, travel on the Chao Phraya River (The River of Kings) and on through the canals (Klongs) of Thonburi. You will be able to observe and photograph serene family homes and temples along the waterways, which gave the city the name “The Venice of the East.” You will also stop at one of the most photographed sites in Bangkok, the Wat Arun. The majestic shrine has a pagoda 76 meters high, decorated with glazed ceramics that reflect the rising sun and give the temple its name. (Note that the temple may still be undergoing renovation, but the temple compound remains open.)
• Back to your hotel to refresh.
• Pickup from your hotel in the afternoon and transfer to Chinatown for a private Tuk Tuk ride and walk along the narrow streets filled with thousands of vendors and food stalls. Taste various dishes — from Hong Kong noodies and Dim-Sum, to grilled jumbo prawn and fried battered mussels — and learn about the food, history, culture, and religion of Chinatown before returning to your hotel.
• Breakfast at the hotel, then transfer to the Bangkok airport for a flight to the lovely northern city of Chiang Mai. ( Cost of flight quoted separately based on dates booked .)
• Arrival at Chiang Mai airport, meet and greet with your guide.
• This afternoon, meet your guide for a tour of Chiang Mai. You will visit the Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, a sacred temple with a challenging flight of stairs flanked by Naga serpents, as well as Wat Chedi Luang, the site of a formerly massive pagoda that was destroyed in the great earthquake of 1545. Next, return to the city center to visit additional impressive temples, such as Wat Suan Dok, which once was home to the Thai monarchy in the 14th century; today it’s home to the ashes of several white Chedis as well as a famous Monk school. Lastly, visit Wat Jedyod, also known as the Temple of Seven Spires.
• Transfer to your hotel for checkin, and dinner on your own.
• Overnight in Chiang Mai.
• Breakfast at your hotel.
• This morning, visit a jungle area to experience the Elephant Care Centre. Meet your English speaking guide to learn about the elephants and change into traditional Karen clothing. After a brief talk about safety, you’ll spend the morning at the camp participating in a variety of activities; in addition to interacting with the elderly elephants, you can learn how to make ground grass, feed the elephants bananas, make herb balls, and even bathe with the elephants in the nearby mud spa! Finish the experience by walking with the animals to a nearby river and join them in the water.
• This afternoon, transfer to the outskirts of Chiang Mai for a great Thai cooking experience. The Lanna-style school is located in a countryside village. Learn about Thai ingredients, and use them during your cooking lesson. Dinner to follow, transfer back to the hotel.
• Breakfast at your hotel, and transfer to the airport. (If you would like, we can arrange a return flight to Bangkok for an additional cost.)

Trip Details of Our Best Cooking Classes in Bangkok

• 4 Night Details

Included in the 4-Night Food Tour in Bangkok & Chiang Mai

Accommodations.

4 nights accommodation (2 nights in Bangkok and 2 nights in Chiang Mai)

Food & Beverages

• Daily breakfast
• 1 tasting tour dinner
• Meal (lunch or dinner) after cooking class

Classes & Instructors

Chiang Mai food tours offer a unique culinary experience in the countryside village near the city. Take a Lanna-style cooking class to create traditional Thai dishes with locally sourced ingredients.

• Guided tour of Bangkok
• Cruise on the Chao Phraya River
• Excursion to Chinatown
• Guided tour of Chiang Mai
• Visit to the Elephant Care Center

Transfer Details

• Arrival transfer from Bangkok airport
• Departure transfer to Chiang Mai airport

Miscellaneous

• English-speaking guide for all excursions
• Entrance fees
• Ground transportation in private A/C vehicle

Not Included

• Drinks and personal expenses
• Internal flight Bangkok to Chiang Mai (usually around $160 per person)
• Visa fees (if applicable)
• Trip insurance (Please note that our international partners require travelers to have travel insurance for this itinerary. You may order travel insurance through us or another company, but proof of coverage may be requested.)

Average Rating

Tour Dates:

Available any dates you choose for a minimum of two people. Please review our complete pricing details .

Starting at

The 5* Hotel, Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort, provides a lavish escape from the bustle of downtown Bangkok. Nestled on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, this tranquil oasis sits amidst 11 acres of lush jungle equipt with World-class dining, entertainment, and spas. With Thai-inspired rooms with a modern touch, including a private balcony and partial river views.

Bangkok Thai Foodie Tour Pricing & Dates

Below are the dates and pricing for Bangkok cooking vacations in Thailand. Contact us to book your trip or check availability.

• 4 Night Pricing

4-Night Bangkok Cooking Classes Sample* Pricing:

4-night Program

US$1810 per person based on double occupancy

*Pricing can vary by season and specific dates booked. Please inquire!

Peak/festive season supplement, if applicable (i.e. during major holidays): please inquire

30% deposit due to confirm booking.

Balance payment due 60 days prior to tour start date. Questions? Please contact us!

Inquire for single supplement.

Want to save? Inquire for a quote with 4* hotels.

4-Night Chiang Mai & Bangkok Cooking Tour Dates

Available any dates for a minimum of 2 people.

2024 Please inquire for available dates.

We Can Help Plan the Best Thai Cooking Classes in Bangkok and Chiang Mai

We understand that planning a vacation can be overwhelming, which is why we are here to help!

In addition to arranging transportation, we also offer additional tours and nights to enhance your experience.

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13 BEST Bangkok Food Tours [2024]

By: Author Stefania Guglielmi

Posted on Last updated: September 7, 2024

Categories Asia , Thailand

Thai food . Two words that need no further explanation to make your mouth water. Traveling to Thailand has definitely many highlights, but one of the most delightful ones is the spicy and flavorful cuisine . Yum! 

You can try the local delicacies in the street markets that abound in Bangkok, and its enchanting restaurants.

However, I think that the best way to appreciate the local food, discover new flavors, and learn about the food is by joining a food tour . It’s definitely something to include in your Bangkok itinerary !

Having a foodie guide means you’ll discover spectacular holes in the walls, delve into the heritage of each meal, and try dishes that are not on the tour guides !

I adore going on food tours, and I think Bangkok is one of the greatest cities in the world to join one. To help you make the choice much easier, I’ve compiled the best Bangkok food tours in this post.

And to answer a very common question before we start: Thai street food is (generally) safe to eat , and it’s delicious. Street food is the most popular type of cuisine in Bangkok, and I’ve eaten plenty of times with no problem.

With a tour, you’ll have a professional guide taking you to tried-and-tested eateries, so you’re good. But to be on the safe side, choose food that is cooked in the moment rather than already-ready food that’s been sitting out for a while.

Avoid ice, and if you’re eating on your own, go to places where you can see multiple locals eating – they are usually the best places for a reason!

Why should you trust me? I have a decade of experience in the travel industry, and have developed a knack for identifying extraordinary experiences. I’m very careful when curating a tour guide to make sure the activities offered are high-quality, professional, and worth your while.

Besides, I’ve visited Bangkok numerous times, and I know exactly what places and markets are worth the hype, and where the tours should be taking you to be epic.

I generally use Viator and Get Your Guide to book my tours and experiences all over the world. Both platforms offer high-quality activities, but I especially recommend them for their cancellation policy. If your travel plans change, you can cancel most tours up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. 

Limited time? These are the best tours :

The Very Best Bangkok Food Tours 

▶️ The Bangkok by Night Tour: Temples, Markets & Food is a wonderful way to experience the city’s nightlife. Spotting the illuminated temples and other landmarks on a tuk-tuk ride, and visit the bustling markets and street food stalls. 

You’ll get to learn about the city and its cuisine from your tour guide, and sample delicious snacks before sitting down for a proper Thai dinner. The tour operates on a small-group basis, but it can also be requested to be private. 

This tour includes : A visit to the Flower Market, all food, and tuk tuk transportation. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

▶️ The Chef Designed Bangkok Food Tour is limited to 8 guests at a time, so it offers an intimate experience. You’ll eat your way through Chinatown on an itinerary marked by a chef, who would have carefully selected all your tastings. 

You’ll get to learn about Thailand’s culture and cuisine from your guide, and indulge in all the classic dishes in a 4-hour informative tour.

This tour includes : Bottled water and beverages, and 16 food tastings. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

▶️ This E-Scooter Night Tour with Local Street Food is one of the most fun activities in the city. You’ll drive your own scooter through the city, passing by major landmarks and temples, as well as lesser-known neighborhoods. Essentially, you’ll experience Bangkok like a local!

Visit the colorful Flower Market, learn about the city from your informative guide, and indulge in a Thai dinner at a street food market. 

This tour includes : Scooter training session, drinking water, and storage for your belongings. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

The Best Private Food Tours in Bangkok

▶️ The Private Culinary Kickstart Tour of Bangkok with a Local is a street food tour tailored to your particular group. You’ll enjoy the undivided attention of your guide as you make your way through local eateries in the city. Taste up to 10 different dishes and desserts!

You’ll learn about Thai cuisine and even get insider tips and recommendations to continue enjoying the delicious Asian food on your own.

This tour includes : Vegetarian alternatives and drinks. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

▶️ A great alternative is With Locals your Way: 100% Personalized Tailored Bangkok Private Food Tour lasts around 3 hours. It takes you to some of the most important museums and temples, of the city, all the while you learn about its history and culinary traditions from a guide.  

You’ll visit the Floating and Railway Markets, and enjoy snacks of local cuisine along the way. 

This tour includes : A visit to the Flower Market and to the Wat Bang Kung temple. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

▶️ The Private Chinatown Sightseeing & Street Food Experience is one of the best food tours in Bangkok to enjoy with your friends or family.

You’ll get to witness the city’s vibrant nightlife as you explore the markets and food stalls of Chinatown, sampling your way through it. 

You’ll also enjoy a coffee at one of the oldest cafés in the area, sip a local beer at a sky bar, and learn about Chinese history and culture at the Heritage Center. 

This tour includes : A visit to Wat Traimit and a Chinese Buddhist temple, and a local guide. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

Eat Your Way Through Chinatown

▶️ The Bangkok’s Iconic Chinatown Experience: Sites & Street Bites is a half-day street food tour that takes you through one of the most vibrant areas in the city. You’ll sample delicious Thai-Chinese food, and learn about Chinese heritage in the city from your knowledgeable guide. 

A visit to the Chinese Museum and Wat Traimit Temple are included, and you’ll finish the tour by having a drink at a sky bar.  

This tour includes : Thai coffee and tea, food tastings, and the temple’s entry fee. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

▶️ The Flavors of Bangkok: Small-Group Chinatown Evening Food Tour is an evening tour with which you’ll visit the most renowned eateries in Chinatown to enjoy samples of their specialties.

Your foodie guide will tell you all about the neighborhood’s history and traditions regarding food, as you indulge in delicious noodles, dumplings, and sweet treats. 

The tour has a limited capacity to ensure a personalized experience, and you’ll get to eat in places only known to the locals. 

This tour includes : All food and beverages, and a local guide. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

▶️ The Bangkok: Michelin Guide Street Food Tour by Tuk Tuk takes you around the city in its most popular means of transport. You’ll head to the lively neighborhood of Chinatown and eat your way through it following the Michelin Guide’s recommendations. 

You’ll savor Chinese delicacies and visit the only street food stall in Thailand with a Michelin star. 

This tour includes : A guide and bottled water. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

Best Bangkok Food + Boat Tour

The Old Siam Bangkok Food Tour: 15+ Tastings Included offers a fantastic combination to enjoy the city. You’ll visit the popular Nang Loeng Market to taste local delicacies especially curated by a chef, and then relax with a boat tour along the canals. 

A Thai chef will be there to tell you all about the country’s mouthwatering cuisine and answer your questions (and maybe give out some recipes, if you’re lucky?)

This tour includes : Over 15 food and drink tastings. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

History + Food Tour in Bang Rak

▶️ The Bangkok Food Tour of Bang Rak with Local Guide operates on a small-group basis and takes you through the lovely district of Bang Rak.

There you’ll get to visit eateries, markets, and street food stalls to sample some of the most authentic Thai dishes, handpicked by your local guide. 

This tour includes : 10 different food and beverage tastings. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

▶️ The Private Foodie Experience of Historic Bang Rak is another fantastic way to explore this district. You’ll walk around the neighborhood stopping at local eateries and shops to sample some delicious dishes of Thai cuisine. 

Aiming to offer an authentic experience, the tour allows you to meet the restaurant’s owners and chefs, who will tell you all about the culinary business and its traditions. 

This tour includes : Up to 12 tastings and an experienced local guide. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

Street Art & Street Food Tour in Bangkok

One of the best Thailand food tours is this Bangkok: Street Art & Street Food Walking Tour . You’ll follow a knowledgeable guide around the charming streets of Bangkok. Spot amazing street art and stopping by local eateries and markets to indulge in delicious food. 

You’ll escape the crowds heading to a colonial neighborhood, where you’ll visit its Catholic Church, marvel at the wall murals, and explore the bustling Khlong San Market.

This tour includes : Drinking water and insurance. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

Stefania Guglielmi is the founder of Every Steph. Originally from Bologna, Italy, she's been traveling full-time since 2016 and has visited over 50 countries across 6 continents. She believes sustainable travel and luxury travel can go hand in hand and has been advocating for responsible tourism since 2014. Stefania's advice and travel experiences have been featured in important publications such as Business Insider, Refinery29, and Yahoo Money.

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Bangkok food tour

Hop on one of Bangkok’s water taxis for a short cruise along the klong canals to an old district of the city rooted in tradition, community and food. Get set for the best Bangkok food tour in town.

Our Bangkok food tours have been voted the no.1 culinary experiences in the city on Tripadvisor.

Wander through this peaceful neighbourhood where you're unlikely to see another traveller and tackle a century old food market that's been feeding hot lunches to locals in the know since 1899.

We won’t spoil the 14+ palette-teasing tastings on our Bangkok food tour, but a sneak peek includes khanom buang yuan , crispy Asian mung bean crepes stuffed with tofu, ginger, young coconut meat and a pineapple vinegar and coconut sugar dressing.

Then there’s miang kham , betel leaves wrapped around toasted coconut, peanuts, shallots, lime and sweet tamarind, na dpet grob roasted duck from a shophouse eatery which has changed in generations, and kuay jab peppery broth with rice noodles.

Don’t even get us started on the tour’s sweet tastings. Khanom tuay steamed coconut pudding and khanom mo kaeng mung bean and coconut flan are this district’s specialities.

As featured in:

Why this tour is awesome

Don't know where to eat in Bangkok? Join our Bangkok food tour and your taste buds won't regret it. Once the entertainment hub of the capital, this area is still the only place in the city where women are trained in the art of traditional Thai dance and you'll see the remnants of Bangkok's oldest silent cinema. It's also one of the best places in the capital to eat.

Full on your preferred date? How about our evening Bangkok food tour ?

If you are lucky enough to have a tour with Andy, you are in for a treat. He has decades of experience guiding both in Thailand and around the world, but he is happiest when back in his home town of Bangkok, helping you to find the best foodie spots and sharing stories from his travels.

Ar grew up in a family devoted to food, as a child he loved to help his grandfather with the cooking, and later on he worked as a chef at his brother's restaurant. Now with over a decade's experience as a tour guide under his belt, he is the perfect person to introduce you Bangkok's cuisine.

Hing is the young buck of our expert team of guides in Bangkok. Despite his youth he has a wealth of knowledge and insights on Bangkok food. He has worked at his parent's hawker stall for many years and we know he learned from the best as their stand is one of our guests' favourites.

Take a short cruise up Bangkok's klong canals

Feasting on our lunchtime Bangkok food tour

Old-school roasted duck shophouse

Eat in historic local joints you'd never find alone

Try the best homemade banana fritters in the capital

Explore one of the oldest food markets in Bangkok

Ultra crispy hoi tod mussel Thai crepe

Visit areas of Bangkok where you won't see another tourist

Kuay jab peppery broth with pork, crispy onions and rice noodles

Saku sai moo pork stuffed tapioca pearls

Steaming saku sai moo tapioca pearls

Meet the food heroes, the people behind the food

Crispy khanom buang yuan with tofu and pineapple vinegar dressing

Small groups limited to just 8 guests

Old-school khanom buang Thai crepes

Finish on a sweet note

• Price US $59 per person. Children under 13 are half price
• Language English
• Small group Our small group tours have a maximum of 8 guests. Larger private groups are available on request
• Tastings The tour includes 14+ tastings. No hidden charges
• Drinks Bottled water and local drinks
• Duration The tour lasts for 4 hours and typically departs at 10am
• Licensed guide Led by one of our superb Bangkok food hosts
• Cancellation Cancel up to 48 hours before departure for a full refund
• Family friendly Families welcome on all our tours
• Transport This is a primarily a walking tour, but it's started with a taxi boat up the klong canals
• Instant confirmation Book now to secure your space (before we sell out!)
• Meeting point The tour kicks off from outside a supermarket mall called “Big C Supercenter Ratchadamri”. Full details will be provided on your booking confirmation
• Pick up / drop off Our guests come from all over the city, so to save time we have a meeting point for everyone. Your guide can help you find transport back at the end of the tour

Dietary information

• Pescatarian Fish eaters welcome
• Lactose free Suitable for lactose intolerant
• Vegetarian Unsuitable for vegetarians
• Vegan Sorry, the tour is not suitable for vegans
• Gluten free Small amount of gluten in a few dishes. Some traces in soy sauce

The Bangkok market that's been serving hungry locals since 1899

How to book

To join our Bangkok tour, use the calendar to select your preferred date, and secure your tour with your card. For special requests, private bookings, or dietary requirements, please  contact us . Safety of our customers is our first priority, so if you have any allergies, please  contact us  before booking.

What to expect

Meeting point.

The tour kicks off from outside a supermarket mall called “Big C Supercenter Ratchadamri”. The guide team will be waiting outside the front entrance of the mall along Ratchadamri road, where you see the white letters BIG C SUPERCENTER.

Cancellation Policy

Why you should book with us.

8 BEST Food Tours in Bangkok, Thailand

This post contains product affiliate links. These are mainly on items/hotels/tours that I personally endorse & love. I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase, but at no extra cost to you.

It’s time for the best food tours in Bangkok! From a delicious street food tour to a Thai cooking course like no other, check out these Bangkok food tours!

The sights, sounds, smells and tastes of Bangkok are a mix you can’t find anywhere else in the world. It’s a place that’ll set all your senses on fire (literally – the food is mega spicy in Thailand!) That’s why this country is home to some of the world’s best food tours in Bangkok.

For me, it’s the contradictions and contrasts that make Bangkok such an amazing place to visit. I could go from discovering something yummy in a 7-Eleven to munching on a cheap £1 plate of pad Thai on the streets to a sumptuous fine-dining feast with the best views of the city all in a few hours. There aren’t not many places where you can do all of that in a day.

Add in beautiful temples, a bustling nightlife that can rival any and the smiliest people you’ll ever meet and you got the perfect ingredients for one of my favourite cities.

And as you’ll quickly learn from the moment you arrive here, the food really is incredible. You really can’t beat Thai food straight from the source.

Planning a trip to Bangkok? Then check out my guides to the best hotels in Bangkok , what to eat when you’re in the city, and how to celebrate Songkran water festival in Thailand. These guides are packed full of advice and information.

Foodie experiences in Bangkok

From a Bangkok Midnight Food Tour to a trip to the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, there’s an intense mix of flavors in Thailand – spicy, sweet, salty, sour.

Influences have flooded in from all corners of the globe making Bangkok one of the best dining destinations in the world. It’s just so diverse and I love all the food on offer here – even the offal.

Also, it’s generally very cheap to eat in Bangkok, so you can get a lot of bang for your buck. The street food isn’t just cheap, it’s quality too. Think £2 for a bowl of Michelin-starred noodles (yes, this is actually a thing here!)

Personally, I think the best way of getting to know the city is on a food tour. Then you get to see all the city has to offer while trying some local delicacies along the way. And let me say this: you’re in for a treat because there are some amazing food tours to choose from.

If you want to eat your way through the city while getting to know the history and the culture, then these are the best Bangkok food tours for you. Go on any of these tours below and you’re in for an amazing time!

Best Food Tours in Bangkok

1. cooking with poo – cooking class in bangkok.

It’s not often you can say this but I loved cooking with Poo!

Poo has become a bit of a legend in Bangkok. She started from very small beginnings in the backstreets of one of the poorer districts of Bangkok. Learning to cook from her mum, people started flocking to her for her delicious food. These days, almost from nothing, she has built one of the best cooking schools in the city.

This cooking class starts off at 8:30am in the Klong Toey wet market. This is where you’ll pick up your ingredients to cook with for the day. What I loved about this was you actually learned about all the different ingredients straight from the source. Also, it really gives you a connection to the local community too.

From the market we then made our way to Poo’s cooking school. In the small intimate setting of her home, we learned how to make a spicy beef salad, pad Thai and a delicious green curry. It’s easy to say this, but it was genuinely some of the best food I had in Thailand. Everything was so simple to make and so delicious too. It really teaches you about Thai food and flavours. Oh, and every day there’s a different menu too so you can keep on coming back to learn new dishes!

One of the best things about cooking with Poo is a lot of the money goes back into the local community, so you’re actually helping the people living around Poo too.

I really do think this is one of the best Bangkok food tours and I can’t recommend it enough!

Cost: £36/$47 per person. You can find out more about this food tour here .

2. Expique’s Evening Food & Tuk Tuk Adventure

This is another Thailand food tour you just have to do while you’re in the capital.

On this food tour you’ll explore the city in your own little tuk tuk (don’t worry, you have a driver too.) This means you can get to those little places that no one else knows about.

What I loved about this tour was we really went off the beaten path. Our first stop was at a tiny food market followed by a tasty hot pot on the streets surrounded by locals. From them on it was a flavour odyssey as we tried anything and everything under city’s lights.

On this Bangkok street food tour you’ll be like a local visiting the most known landmarks like the Old Town temples and the flower markets all with one major difference – it’s without the crowds that you find on usual tours.

Also, our guide Lek was brilliant at explaining everything we were eating. We even got to try a few interesting things like bugs and tripe. It really shows you what the local delicacies are in Bangkok.

I lost count of how many stops and dishes we tried on this food tour. I think we tried well over 10 different dishes so it really is amazing value for money. Also, your tuk tuk driver will drop you off at your hotel at night afterwards too. Bonus! This really is a Bangkok tuk tuk night food tour like no other.

Expique also offer some of their own cooking courses too that I’ve only heard great things about. These are cooking classes with a twist so well worth checking out.

Cost: £57/$74per adult, £28/$37per child (aged 5-11). You can find out more about this food tour here .

3. Local’s Favorite Dishes: Secret Food Tour of Bangkok

Experience a locals’ favorite dishes on this delicious Bangkok street food tour. Dine with others from out of town and discover food stalls, favorite hidden spots, and experience the cultural history and rich foods the area has to offer.

On this tour you get to journey through different parts of Bangkok. Also, make sure you’re hungry as you’ll eat at 6 different places in the city to experience the true taste of Thailand.

The tour will start off with fresh mouthwatering papaya salad that is slightly spicy and will make your taste buds dance. On the next stop, you’re able to experience all the sweet fruit the country has to offer.

Ever tried fishball noodle soup? It’s now one of my favorites (I really mean that!) Be prepared to eat this dish next to a gorgeous temple while appreciating the colorful and vibrant Chinatown.

Sit down here for a nice Thai-style dim sum soup and end your day at the local pub to taste the local beer and share your experiences with others. So much fun!

Cost: £34/$44 per adult, £30/$38 per 13-17-year-old, £26/$33 per 3-12-year-old. You can find out more about this food tour here .

4. The Ultimate Bangkok Bicycle & Boat Tour

I wanted to go for an all-day adventure so I joined the Ultimate Bangkok Bicycle & Boat Tour. Going out of the city, this explores areas far from typical tourist traps.

You’ll enjoy visual cultural contrasts of Muslim and Buddhism, classic and modern, rural and urban.

We began in Chinatown where for about an hour we wandered through pathways with markets, temples, and a vibrant street life.

After a 30 km train ride, we arrived in eastern Bangkok and rode for about 2.5 hours on the paths through neighborhoods and klongs, again noting the strong contrasts of lifestyles along the way.

Next we enjoyed a meal at a local restaurant and a temple before riding on a tail boat in the canals. This is such a good way of getting around and seeing a lot of Bangkok.

A quick bike ride ended at the BTS station and then we rode through urban Bangkok back to the tour beginning, enjoying the unique neighborhoods along the way.

Cost: £55/$70 per adult. You can find out more about this food tour here .

5. Old Town Bangkok Food Tour

Join this tour for a true culinary adventure in Bangkok’s Old Town, one of the best places to eat in Bangkok. In just a few hours you’ll gain all the knowledge you need on one of Thailand’s local culinary scenes.

At these local spots you’ll get the chance to try things like BBQ-pork buns, roasted duck, red curry, and beyond. But not only will you get to try these dishes, but you’ll also go behind the scenes for a personal, hands-on learning experience. You’ll discover a range of tastes in one of Bangkok’s oldest neighborhood.

Sign up for a half-day tour with only a few other visitors. Your Bangkok food guide will introduce you to some of Bangkok’s best chefs who will share their stories and answer any foodie questions you have.

Explore Bangkok’s tastiest neighborhood through abundant samples, street foods, and even fine dining options. You’ll feel like a local in no time!

I think that this 3.5-hour tour is a foodie tourist’s dream. You can pick your favorite spot out of five different locations where you’ll taste over eight delicious culinary delights. But save some room for walking. In between eating you’ll explore hidden neighborhood gems, ancient temples, and some of the local’s favorite spots.

Ever had a Thai green custard bun or the royal recipe for green curry beef and chicken? How about roti? Or Kao-Nha-Ped, roasted duck with rice? Among the many exotic flavors you’ll sample are Som Tam (papaya salad), curry on egg, crisped catfish, coconut ice cream, and iced lemon tea.

Plus as a bonus, you’ll get to try secret dishes available only for the group. It’s a great experience.

Cost: £33/$42 per adult, £26/$33 per child, infants free. You can find out more about this food tour here .

6. Bangkok Chinatown 3.5-Hour Night Food Tour

Do you want a cultural experience that will leave you dreaming of coming back for more? Look no further than the Bangkok Chinatown 3.5-Hour Night Food Tour. During these few incredible hours you will experience Chinatown like never before.

In the 200-year-old Chinatown district, you will experience a variety of foods to satisfy your taste buds. This cuisine ranges from street food vendors to fine dining restaurants. The food will range from herbal teas to sweet treats to satisfying noodle soups. There is no doubt there’s something for everyone on this tour!

In between the 7 delicious food stops on this Bangkok street food tour, you’ll be getting an up close and personal view of the neighborhood. You’ll meet the locals, hear their stories, and develop a deeper understanding of the Chinese culture through religious and symbolic landmarks. For me this is one of the best tours of Bangkok.

Cost: £35/$45 per adult, £28/$36 per child, infants free. You can find out more about this food tour here .

7. Damnoen Saduak Floating Market Bangkok Tour at Ratchaburi

Although Venice is famous for its canals and gondolas, Thailand offers the greatest example of a floating market in Damnoen Saduak Floating Market Bangkok Tour at Ratchaburi. This remnant of yesteryear completely charmed me and ensnared my senses with its vibrant colors and enticing scents.

The tour begins at Gardner’s House, where you will learn the process of making coconut sugar. Learning how to husk the coconuts and extract the milk is a fascinating lesson, and at the end it’s possible that you’ll get to taste some of the final product.

After that, it’s straight to the floating market where hundreds of different types of boats bob together on the water. All sorts of things are available to purchase, including a variety of snacks and foods, clothes and fabric, jewelry, and much, much more.

The floating market at Ratchaburi is a great place to view the friendliness and kindness of local Thai people on full display. They are quite welcoming and eager to barter and banter with travelers, so feel free to immerse yourself in the experience!

Cost: £17/$22 per person. You can find out more about this food tour here .

8. Bangkok Dinner River Cruise

The Chao Phraya Dinner Cruise by Grand Pearl Cruise is a must for anyone who wants to experience the romance of Bangkok. Offering unforgettable views of the city, an exquisite buffet of Thai delicacies, and live music and dance, this experience is sure to delight even the most experienced traveler.

The cruise departs from the River City Pier and takes passengers upriver, past the illuminated visages of the Temple of Dawn, Grand Palace, and Temple of the Golden Buddha. Upon return to the pier, a delightful repast is served, including local and international dishes that are seasoned to perfection.

This dinner cruise by the Grand Pearl is truly an experience like no other, and one that is sure to leave one with amazing memories of Bangkok. What a wonderful way to experience this amazing city!

Cost: £37/$47 per adult. You can find out more about this food tour here .

So, out of these Bangkok food tours which one catches your eye? I would love to know which one you’d go on so let me know in the comments below!

Like this blog post? Then make sure you Pin it!

About the Author

Macca Sherifi is the founder of the multiple award-winning blogs An Adventurous World and the Great British Bucket List. Every month he inspires over 200,000 avid readers to travel the world.

2 thoughts on “8 BEST Food Tours in Bangkok, Thailand”

Was it really that good? Bangkok and any other Asian country has such interesting street food. I think I’m craving it now!

Yeah, these food tours are really great – I’d definitely recommend them the next time you’re in Bangkok!

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Secret Food Tours: Bangkok

Secret Food Tours Bangkok

On our Secret Food Tour: Bangkok, let our knowledgeable, local guides show you the best street stalls and food, and present a side of the city you're unlikely to find on your own. We'll introduce you to new flavors, expand your palate, and create an exceptional, authentic experience. While not all Thai food is spicy, you always have the option to make it spicy.

Feast on spicy basil chicken served over jasmine rice, flavoursome Dim Sum, mouth-watering 'Issan-style' spicy grilled pork, juicy duck noodle soup, our secret dish and lots more!

• First, you'll try a spicy basil chicken served over jasmine rice.
• You'll take in some amazing sights on our way to sample a Thai classic: Spicy Grilled Pork with seasoning, best eaten with sticky rice and refreshing local beer.
• We'll then stop at a restaurant where you'll get you a delicious flavorsome Dim Sum.
• In Chinatown, you'll taste Asian desserts as we stroll the streets.
• As with all our tours, there's our delicious Secret Dish.

* Please note: the itinerary and menu is subject to change, based on the locations' availability, weather, and other circumstances.

If a tour is fully booked, or you are looking to book a *Group or Private Tour - please email us about Group & Private Tours options.

*Please note - Group & Private Tours are specifically organised for your group and therefore subject to a premium price.

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• Stir-fried chicken with basil & chili topped on rice
• Shrimp dumplings
• Steamed buns with red pork
• Papaya salad / Thai style
• Chinese donut with pandan custard
• Stewed pork knuckle with rice
• Pork or chicken satay with peanut sauce
• Duck noodle soup
• Thai crispy pancake
• Black sesame dumplings in ginger tea
• Our delicious Secret Dish
• A bottle of water
• Non-alcoholic options
• Spicy basil
• Fried dough
• Roll noodle soup with pork belly
• Veggi spring roll
• Black sesami dumpling in ginger tea

Due to the nature of creating a well balanced and thoughtful gastronomy experience, many of our tours are unable to accommodate certain dietary restrictions. Please contact us prior to booking your tour to see if we are able to accommodate your dietary needs.

Chinatown and Hua Lumphong are both known for being home to some of the best authentic street foods in Thailand. Everyone flocks to Chinatown in the evening to try unique foods, different to the usual restaurant foods that do not represent the real Bangkok! Hua Lumphong is a distinct, old-style neighborhood in central Bangkok with a variety of food stalls at the market. Your guide will take you through his own neighbourhood, where he grew up, and you'll discover some of the finest food and hidden culture that makes this city such a special place.

Tue - Sun 6:00 p.m.

Hua Lamphong MRT Stations

More Cultural/Historical Tours

Simply go to our "Book Now" page where we detail our tours. Select your tour, the time of your tour, and book it!

Are you looking for something special? Are you organizing an event? Just email us at Group & Private Tours and we will do our best to arrange something that suits you. After your booking is made, we will send you an automatic e-mail confirmation. If you have any questions before booking, feel free to contact us via email.

*Please note if you are using a special promo code then enter it in the "Voucher Code" section before you select the amount of tickets you would like to purchase*

All the delicious food and drinks mentioned above, but if you want more alcohol (and who doesn't?) We offer a upgraded drinks package that gives you 1 drink.

You can find the meeting spot here and if it's not clear you can always contact us.

We end our tour at the Wat Mangkon MRT Train station.

You can always tell our guides of any food allergies or special dietary requirements. We will do our best, however most of our food stops prepare only one dish, so vegetarians cannot be accommodated at this time. If you have any concerns, feel free to email us at [email protected] before booking.

Children are quite welcome, however it is a long walk and you may choose to find a babysitter at your hotel. It is free for any child 2 years or under. We can give them non-alcoholic drinks and you are free to enjoy the tour with your entire family of all ages.

There is beer in this tour. Just inform our guide before your tour starts if you have any special request. During the tasting, water is available just ask your guide as you need more.

There is a lot of food on this tour and we recommend a light or no breakfast. As we travel you get many delicious treats that comprise a meal with fruit and sweets. You will not be hungry after the tour although please do tell us if we can get something more.

Our tours are often sold out very quickly. If the date requested is not available, please do not hesitate to email us and see if there is anything we can do. We cannot promise but we will try our best to sort something out for you.

To join our food tour, you must wear comfortable shoes. There will be around 45 minutes to one hour of walking but it is not too difficult and is broken up between food stops. The guide walks at the pace of the tour members, you will never be rushed. There are no stairs on the tour or hills.

We take 10 people maximum. If you are more than 10 people, please do not hesitate to email us and we will try to see if we can accommodate.

You do not have to print your voucher. A confirmation on your phone will be fine!

All of our vouchers expire one year from the date of purchase.

Our guide will take care of everything. Should you wish to try something special, please inform our guide and they will do their best to make you happy.

Top - quality, fresh and local! From Vendors and restaurants. All vendors are carefully regulated so that the food will be safe to eat.

Unfortunately, the weather is unpredictable in Bangkok especially in summer seasons. Bring an umbrella and we will try tore-route to indoors or under covers. However we do reserve the right to cancel the tour if we feel the weather is extreme, and we cannot run the tour due to this. For more info see our Terms and Conditions: https://www.secretfoodtours.com/terms-and-conditions/

You must book directly on our website. We do not accept cash payments. Our online payment is safe, secured and SSL protected.

The booking fee that you have to pay is up to our ticket provider and we can't change it. All our clients need to pay for it upon booking. The booking fee charged contributes to the cost of the ticketing system to provide an excellent service to our customers.

A few banks have charged their customer an extra fee while booking with us (this isn't the booking fee but another fee added by the bank). We think this is unfair, if this happens let us know by showing us in your bank statement and we will refund this fee as a gesture of good will.

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Hello! My name is Worawut Kijsiravej, you can call me Alex if you prefer. I am the owner of Bangkok-based Food Adventure Food Tours. We are a small food tour operator founded in 2019, just a few months before the pandemic hit us hard. Now that business has returned to normal. We are a locally owned business, and our FEO (Food Experience Officer) and I were born and grew up in the neighborhood where we run the tour and everyone is knowledgeable about local foods.

We have been food experts in the area where we run the tour for many years. We’ve worked with a variety of restaurants and caterers to help them create one-of-a-kind menus for our customers. For a few years, I also worked as a food tour guide for a local company. I understand what people want when it comes to food, and I am always able to assist them in finding the ideal place to eat. Before we decided to start our own company in 2019.

We are, however, a small food tour company run by locals. When you book our tour, you are not only supporting local businesses, also the employees and their families. But when you book a food tour with a foreign company, the profits leave our community. Please kindly support local businesses!

We are extremely enthusiastic about food. We have visited many different countries. No matter where we go, we’ll also take a food tour with a local to try out new foods we’ve never seen or tried before. Food can teach us about their culture and history. This is the primary reason we founded a food tour company, allowing our clients to sample different cuisines and discover eateries that are unfamiliar to many tourists.

Our Food Tours & Adventures

Let's foods intimate your adventures with insight into the history and cultures. Every dish has its own origin and story, you will get to try the very authentic Thai street foods where you can't find it in your country's Thai restaurants.

Experience our food tours in different way

Forget about Pad Thai, which local least favorite. Try popular things that local eat daily.

Experience the taste of thailand

Not only foods, you will get to experience the adventure in between the tour. It is our concept that bring our guests to places that they would never have been to if travel by their own.

Food Tours in Bangkok

Best food tours in bangkok for your next culinary journey.

Explore the culinary landscape of one of the most exciting cities in the world with food tours in Bangkok. You'll find a list of world-class guides who know where all the gems are hidden. Discover the newest restaurants, the hottest bars and pubs, the sweetest gourmet shops and more. There are treasures of taste and texture down every street waiting to be uncovered. All it takes to get your adventure started is booking a Bangkok food tour today!

Travel into the beating heart of Thailand with guided food tours through Bangkok. You’ll explore one of the world’s most satisfying locales, with a lush atmosphere and a soothing energy that extends to the beloved culinary culture. Try the tastes of Thonglor, take a bite out of Banglamphu and savor Sathorn on a journey of discovery in this delicious destination. Thai dining is a marvel of Asian-Pacific cuisine, one that offers the essence of tradition in every morsel. It’s a sumptuous exploration you won’t want to miss!

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Bangkok Street Food Tour

• Hotel Pick-up 4:30 pm
• Duration: 3 hr
• 2,500 thb / person
• Free Cancellation

Bangkok Michelin Tour

• 2,750 thb / person

Bangkok Tuk Tuk & Dinner

Bangkok's #1 street food tour.

Bangkok Street Food Tour takes you on a culinary adventure through Bangkok's vibrant  local neighborhoods and street food markets.

Get picked up from your Bangkok Hotel and explore the city by tuk-tuk and savor various authentic Thai street food guided by proffessional local foodies.

#1 Bangkok Food Tours

Discover the best of Bangkok's culinary delights with our knowledgeable foodie guides on an unforgettable Bangkok Food Tour.

Local Food Tours

Discover the Bangkok street food scene, sample local delicacies, visit local vendors and local markets

Michelin Food

Pick-up at your hotel.

On our Bangkok Michelin Food Tour, you can enjoy a unique Michelin food tasting experience by Tuk Tuk! 

Small, unique food stops

As the only company, our food tours come with complimentary pick-up and drop-off transfers from your hotel in Bangkok. Experience the ultimate in comfort and ease as we take care of it all for you.

Hidden Local alleys

Our tour takes you to the best spots. Explore down a dark side alley or follow your nose when you smell something delicious. The small alleys are packed with delectable eats and full of local food gem surprises.

We explore various unique food places. Have you ever tried Thai fried ice cream? It is made to order, with the mixture spread thinly on a chilled steel surface until it turns into a delicious dessert.

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• Village of Love Food Tour
• Village of Love at Night
• Chinatown Food Crawl
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• Culinary City Events
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• A Real Thai Food Tour Experience in Bangkok

You can find the best food tour experience in Bangkok . Thailand and the food are just perfect. It looks the same as the country’s various cuisines carrying the stories of the Kingdom’s history and people. There is no escaping the tastes and smells throughout the capital city’s street stalls, hole-in-the-wall shop houses and even more upmarket fancy establishments.

The first impression might give pause for a second thought. Oftentimes, that’s where we find some of the tastiest hidden gems. But when there are so many dishes and ingredients, what to try and how to eat?

Food tours are an excellent introduction to Thai dishes, even for those more familiar with the cuisine. They can be an excellent way of sampling new foods and flavours and seeing a part of Bangkok off the beaten path.

Thailand is fourth on the world map for food tours after London, Paris and New York in 2020,  according to Statista. I always wondered why these cities score better than the Thai food kitchen .

Taste of Thailand Food Tours offers a four-hour food experience by foot in the Bang Rak neighbourhood, otherwise known as the Village of Love. Bang Rak is the historic area of Bangkok surrounding Silom Road. The area is well known to locals for having some of the best food in Bangkok.

Taste of Thailand was recently transitioned into B-Concept Media Entertainment Group, a full-service experience company and continuing the concept out of a belief that everything we eat has a story behind it.

Each food tour experience tells stories to visitors seeking a more intimate way to learn about Thai culture… while eating! This passion sets out a map of culinary gems in the sprawling metropolis of Bangkok and shares our mission with you, dishing up culture, tradition and people behind the savoury treats along the way.

One of the award-winning tours is The Village of Love Tour , which meets participants at 10 am just outside an easily accessible central BTS station. There is only a maximum of 10 on tour, which is the perfect size. That means that people get to know each other better while sharing the same passion. After booking the tour, you get pre-warned to arrive hungry, so keep that in mind as you might be grateful afterwards.

The first stop is a street food curry stall next to the BTS station, where you can pick up two miniature curry puffs. You can choose between vegetables, mushrooms, mung bean, taro, black sesame and coconut. It is an excellent way to start your morning.

It is interesting to hear the story behind the food you all get to eat, but watching the vendor roll, braid and deep fry the puffs before your eyes makes the tasty treats even tastier!

One of the tastiest parts of the morning is a stop in a curry paste shop where you can see mounds of yellow, red, green and Penang curry paste. Some would say the smell is “authentic” at best and heavenly!

Though not necessarily for the faint-hearted, with meat and fish on display at Bang Rak local wet market in all its full glory, the produce is as fresh as you will find in Bangkok and highly inexpensive. The fruit stands just outside provided the perfect classroom for some Thai fruit education, with mangosteen not standing a chance.

The buildings themselves are unique, such old quaint wooden houses that seem at odds with the towering skyscrapers that one is used to associating Bangkok with.

It is interesting to hear throughout the day about the quickly changing landscape of Bangkok and the sensitive balance between progress and preservation. It is time to stop again, and you will find yourself at an old Chinese shop house grocer.

Many people believe that Chinese herbal drinks hold excellent medicinal properties, and as such, you will allow trying some based on their inherent health benefits. Honey and black dragon tea are alleged to its slimming characteristics, and you might want to lose some weight in the new year! The energy boost and good skin claims are a bonus. You also can choose the famous bitter drink, Nam Khom! It is also interesting to learn that this shop is the birthplace of the famous Yan Wo Yun seasoning sauces, internationally known as the Healthy Boy brand.

Then it is time to move into one of the food stalls for the Nai Sang roasted duck served with noodles. Duck, mainly found on the street in Thailand, tends to be fatty, but it is well cooked here, and you will learn some valuable secrets while eating the duck.

One of the city’s most famous fried banana street vendors is just outside the duck stall, as evidenced by the queue surrounding his stall. In addition to bananas, the vendor sells deep-fried taro and sweet potato.

The next stop is a sweet theme to consumers, the Dessert, where the owner says it is the best traditional Thai dessert shop in this area and has been making sweets according to its founder’s original recipes since before World War II. The third-generation owners have renovated the shop, which is now a cosy air-conditioned café. The dessert shop serves and indeed excels in many traditional Thai goodies, but their sweet sticky rice , topped with impossibly smooth and creamy steamed egg custard (sangkhaya), is their best seller.

The penultimate stop that follows is almost unanimously the favourite stop for many, as the food is just tremendous. The house of Papaya Salad is treated with the famous Thai spicy papaya salad, served in two sorts – traditional and deep fried. The restaurant serves 29 different flavours of Som Tam in total!

You can accompany the papaya salad with two side dishes of larb – moo and ped (pork and duck) together with dishes of sticky rice to dip into the tasty sauce.

The last stop in the tour is a restaurant named in honour of H.S.H. Princess Sulabh–Valleng Visuddhi , who used to be the head cook in the Sukhothai Palace kitchen for her half-sister, Queen Rambhai Barni of King Rama the Seventh. Enjoy three small dishes: a traditional Thai appetiser with the prettiest served green curry, finished with the lightest yet creamiest ginger sorbet.

Named “ Bites and Sites in the Village of Love ,” this tour combines walking and sightseeing between food stops to provide cultural context and allow for digestion and our appetites to re-emerge.

Good food isn’t what makes this food tour great. It is the solid friendships with our fellow neighbours and the stories only the lifelong locals know. Taste of Thailand aims to transmit these stories with each bite and site and provide an intimate window into Thai life that can support the community’s progress while preserving local traditions along its tour.

Although Taste of Thailand runs different tours weekly, including the Village of Love and Tuk Tuk Odessey Tours, the company also runs other successful and award-winning food tours in cities outside of Bangkok. Taste of Thailand My City Culinary Events Series returns in 2023, and tickets will go on sale soon.

Taste of Thailand offers readers an exclusive 15% discount off the usual price of 1.550 Baht to enjoy the food tours. Log onto the website www.tasteofthailandfoodtours.org and enter the promo code “TOT15VOL” after booking this high-in-demand tour is back for booking.

Private tours are also available upon request. Email info[at]tasteofthailandfoodtours [dot]org for more details. Make sure you like the Facebook page facebook.com/tasteofthailandfoodtours and follow us on Twitter @twitter.com/TasteofThailand, and Instagram accounts @TasteofThailand for daily photos of delicious-looking food.

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FUN & ENGAGING COOKING CLASS EXPERIENCE IN BANGKOK FOR TEAMBUILDING & FAMILY !

Cooking class.

At Cooking Class Bangkok , we aim to provide high quality and highly customizable cooking classes and food tours for team building events and groups or families.

We understand the importance of creating memorable experiences and fostering strong relationships, that’s why we are proud to be a leader in team building event organization in Bangkok. We are dedicated to providing high quality services that are not only fun but also educational. We will plunge you deep into Thailand’s amazing Cuisine & Culture ! Our classes are supervised by professional cooks, who are both amical and experienced to give you a unique experience. Our goal is to create a course where you and your group will learn a lot and enjoy your time while you bond with your team members or loved ones.  Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced cook, our classes are designed to cater to all skill levels.  We look forward to cooking with you soon !  

Cooking Class Bangkok For Team Building

Food is the best and easiest way to develop new relationship in a team. We designed several high-quality cooking classes in order to push the boundaries of your organization. Your co-workers will work together to realize some dishes. We usually split them into several team that will lightly compete against each other. Rather than trying to isolate and prove superiority, this competition aims to boost the capacities of every individual, favor exchanges of information and create an entertaining atmosphere. Thus, our cooking class will strengthen the overall quantity and quality of communication within your company. It will also produce a better working environment in general.

In the same vein, our food tour will make you discover Thailand in an entertaining and interesting way. Our Amazing Adventure Food Tour is especially suited for team building! Your team will visit different locations within Bangkok while competing against each other in funny challenges. It’s excellent for ice breaking or simply to improve relationship!

One Goal To Unite the Team

Trying to reach a goal with teamates is the best way to reinforce your relationships and encourage communication !

Learn a Culture, Share Values

Learning about food leads to learn about a culture. And discovering a culture will leads you to share values !

Break the Ice

Sometimes, it's hard to start a conversation and learn more about each other. But Cooking food together is a solution to this problem.

There is no sincerer Love than the Love of food. Gerorge Bernard Show - Irish Playwright

They Trust Us !

Cooking Class Bangkok For Family & Groups

Thailand as a deep and impressive culture, and it all starts with food. Discovering the cuisine of Thailand will lead you to understand the lifestyle of Thai people which is the first step to get a deeper appreciation of this amazing country. In addition to the cooking Class, we offer entertaining food tour to connect you even deeper with Thailand. You will visit unique locations like the Khlong Toei Market and discover arts & sports of Thailand like Muay Thai or Thai Dancing. In addition, we designed several activities to make you connect with the locals of Thailand. After all, Thai people represent the main patrimony of the country of smiles, so better interact with them!

Thus, our Cooking Classes & Food Tour in Bangkok are perfectly suited to spend a unique afternoon with your family or with a group of friends. It’s entertaining, educational and humanly rich. Discover our offers now !

Our Food tours

Embark on a unique adventure through bangkok on the tuk tuk !

Our signature food tour in bangkok. Discover Bangkok thanks to several unique activities.

Dive deep into Bangkok Street Fod and discover unique facets of the city .

A food tour in Bangkok is a great way to experience the local culture and flavors of Thailand. Not only will you get to taste a wide variety of delicious Thai dishes, but you’ll also learn about the history and traditions behind them. A food tour guides take you to the local markets, street food vendors, and hidden gems where you can sample authentic Thai food, and get a feel of the local culture.

By doing a food tour, you will have a chance to have a better understanding of Thai culture, and how food plays an important role in it. You will learn about the different ingredients used in Thai cuisine and the traditional way they are prepared. You will also discover the different regions of Thailand and how they influence the local food culture.

Doing a food tour also allows you to have an open mind and try new things. Thai cuisine can be quite different from what you are used to, and a food tour is a great way to step out of your comfort zone and try something new.

Additionally, you will have an opportunity to meet local people, interact with them and learn about their daily life. This will give you a deeper insight into the culture and allow you to have a more authentic experience .

Overall, a food tour in Bangkok is an excellent way to immerse yourself in the local culture and flavors of Thailand. It will give you a deeper understanding of the country and its people, and it is an experience you will remember for a long time.

The Importance Of Team Building in a Company

Team building events are an essential aspect of any successful organization. They provide an opportunity for employees to come together and work towards a common goal, while also building stronger relationships with one another. The benefits of team building events are numerous, and include:

Improving communication and collaboration: Team building events can help employees learn how to communicate and collaborate more effectively, which can lead to better teamwork and improved productivity.

Boosting morale: Team building events can help to improve employee morale by giving them a chance to relax and have fun together outside of the office.

Developing problem-solving skills: Many team building activities involve problem-solving exercises, which can help employees develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Building trust: Team building events can help employees to build trust with one another, which is essential for effective teamwork.

Enhancing creativity: Team building events can help to stimulate creativity and encourage employees to think outside the box.

Building bonds: Team building events are not only fun but also a great way to build stronger relationships with colleagues, which can lead to a more positive and supportive work environment.

Overall, team building events can have a significant impact on an organization’s overall performance by improving communication, collaboration, morale, and problem-solving skills, as well as building trust, stimulating creativity, and enhancing bonds among team members. They can be a great way to help companies achieve their goals, and to retain and engage their employees.

Team building events are important for fostering communication, collaboration, and trust among team members, which can ultimately lead to improved team performance and success.

What's Thai Food ?

Thailand is known for its delicious and diverse cuisine, which is a blend of different cultural influences, including Chinese, Indian, and Malay. The food in Thailand is characterized by its strong and bold flavors, with a balance of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy tastes.

One of the most popular dishes in Thailand is Tom Yum, a spicy and sour soup made with lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and chili paste. Another popular dish is Pad Thai, a stir-fried rice noodle dish made with delicious shrimps.

Curry dishes are also a staple in Thai cuisine, with different regions of the country having their own unique versions. Green curry is made with coconut milk, green chilies, and a variety of herbs, while red curry is made with red chilies and a sweeter flavor.

Seafood is also a big part of Thai cuisine, with a variety of dishes such as steamed fish with chili and lime, and spicy prawn soup.

Rice is a staple food in Thailand, and it is often served with a variety of dishes such as curries, stir-fries, and soups.

Thai desserts are also delicious and often made with coconut milk, such as mango sticky rice and coconut ice cream.

Overall, Thai food is known for its bold flavors, balance of different tastes, and use of fresh herbs and spices. Whether you’re looking for something spicy, sweet, or savory, there’s something for everyone in Thai cuisine.

What's French Food ?

French cuisine is known for its rich and flavorful dishes, featuring a combination of classic techniques and high-quality ingredients. French cooking is known for its complexity, with many dishes having multiple components and taking a long time to prepare.

One of the most famous French dishes is Coq au Vin, a stew made with chicken, red wine, bacon, and mushrooms. Another classic dish is Beef Bourguignon, a slow-cooked beef stew made with red wine, bacon, and vegetables.

French cuisine is also known for its use of butter and cream, which add richness and depth of flavor to many dishes. Some famous French dishes that use these ingredients include Escargots de Bourgogne (snails in garlic butter) and Crème Brûlée (custard with a caramelized sugar topping).

Cheese is another important component of French cuisine, with a wide variety of regional cheeses available, such as Roquefort, Brie, and Camembert. French bread, pastries and macarons are also very popular in France.

French cuisine is also known for its emphasis on seasonality, with many dishes featuring ingredients that are in season at the time they are prepared.

Overall, French cuisine is known for its rich and flavorful dishes, featuring a combination of classic techniques and high-quality ingredients. French cooking is considered one of the most sophisticated and refined cuisines in the world, and it is a must-try for any food lover.

On Cooking Class Bangkok, we have a blog where we regularly post articles about Thai and French food, Bangkok food, and team building. Our articles are written by experienced food enthusiasts, culinary experts and team building professionals who share their knowledge and experience with our readers.

On our blog, you can find a wide range of articles about Thai food, including traditional recipes, cooking tips, and information about the history and culture behind the dishes. We also share articles about French food, including classic recipes and information about French culinary techniques and ingredients.

We also post articles about Bangkok food, including information about the best street food vendors, local markets, and hidden gems where you can find authentic Thai cuisine. We also share our personal experiences and tips for those who are planning a food tour in Bangkok.

In addition to food-related content, we also post articles about team building, including information about the benefits of team building activities, tips for planning a successful event, and ideas for fun and creative team building activities. We also share our experiences and case studies of team building events we have organized in the past.

Overall, our blog is a great resource for anyone interested in Thai and French food, Bangkok food, and team building. We strive to provide valuable and informative content that will educate, entertain and inspire our readers.

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Greed, Gluttony and the Crackup of Red Lobster

How missed opportunities, a $1.5 billion real estate deal, all-you-can-eat shrimp and the global pandemic sank the country’s largest seafood chain.

Credit... Lisa Sheehan

Supported by

By David Segal

• Sept. 9, 2024

In June of last year, Red Lobster announced that Ultimate Endless Shrimp — as much as you can scarf down for just $20 — would become an “all day, every day” fixture of the menu.

Game on, said America.

Diners swarmed the chain’s nearly 700 restaurants, ordering round after round of Parrot Isle Jumbo Coconut Shrimp (breaded, sweet and fried), Walt’s Favorite (breaded and fried), Garlic Shrimp Scampi (shrimp in a pool of butter and garlic sauce), Shrimp Linguini Alfredo (shrimp on a pile of pasta with garlic sauce) and Grilled Shrimp Skewers (self-explanatory). The first round came with two sides: coleslaw, French fries, mashed potatoes, baked potato or rice.

It was a giddy, raucous display of gluttony. TikTokers sank into upholstered booths and declared their goals — “Hi, my name is Onalee and I’m going to eat 65 shrimp tonight” — or posted videos of shrimp-gobbling marathons. “Only eat at Red Lobster for an entire day?” said a grinning mattpeterson__fan-764 . “Challenge accepted!”

Among employees, news that Endless Shrimp would, in fact, never end was greeted with dread. As an occasional special over the years, it was always a frantic ordeal. Cooks and servers could barely keep up. Bargain hunters griped about the pace of refills. Cops were summoned to handle diners enraged that they couldn’t get takeaway bags.

It was a struggle under the best of conditions, and, last year, Red Lobster was wobbling. Shunned by young diners and crowded by cheaper rivals, the chain would later report that its customer count had plunged 30 percent since 2019.

The slide was a devastating, slow-motion calamity for a brand that over the decades had introduced millions of Americans to seafood along with such nautical-themed desserts as Brownie Overboard. It had been a beloved special-occasion venue for middle-class diners, less expensive than white-tablecloth restaurants, classier than fast-food joints.

New management had arrived in 2020 and tried to revive the chain with the corporate version of heart paddles. Thai Union, a seafood giant based in Samut Sakhon, Thailand, administered the shocks in the form of stern lectures, surprise inspections and cost-cutting measures that strained the staff to its breaking point.

Now, by unveiling perpetual Endless Shrimp, Thai Union wanted Red Lobster employees to work even harder.

“When they dumped this on us in June, we’d already been squeezed to the bone,” said Malcom Clarke, then a service manager at the Red Lobster in Orem, Utah. “We got emails from corporate saying: ‘This is a free-for-all. Get that shrimp out as fast as you can.’”

Like a lot of former Red Lobster employees, Mr. Clarke speaks about the chain with a mix of anger and heartbreak. When he joined the company in 2019, it had a certain prestige. Just landing the job took months, a series of interviews and 11 weeks of training, widely considered the best in the industry. At the time, he and others talked unironically about the “Red Lobster family.” Managers spent years climbing the ladder, waiting for those on the top rung to move along or retire.

By last year, the spirit of warmth and generosity had vanished, and Endless Shrimp had made the dining room “hellish and chaotic,” as one manager put it. Some customers planted themselves there for hours, ordering nothing but shrimp and water.

“We called them campers,” said Zachary Spain, a manager at the Red Lobster in Times Square. “This one couple, they came in every Sunday, and I’d say they ate about 100 shrimp apiece, maybe 120. And we’d see people all the time, scraping shrimp into Tupperware on their lap.”

By January, Thai Union was done. Citing mounting losses, Thiraphong Chansiri, Thai Union’s chief executive, announced that the company was cutting all ties to Red Lobster, like a parent disowning a child. In a statement for this article, Thai Union said that it had little choice after exploring “all avenues to resolve Red Lobster’s onerous financial obligations” and investing hundreds of millions of dollars in the chain “during the most adverse market conditions in the company’s history.”

Those conditions included unforeseeable disasters, like Covid. But long before the pandemic began, Red Lobster was a company in decline. That never-ending $20 special was merely the final kick in the gut. For roughly a decade, the chain has endured goofs, pratfalls and neglect at the hands of a series of corporate parents. Too often, they behaved like one of those Tupperware-toting shrimp fiends, thinking mostly about how much profit could be scraped from the plates.

The Original Sin

The first Red Lobster opened in Lakeland, Fla., in 1968, the brainchild of Bill Darden, a restaurant prodigy who had opened a 25-seat luncheonette in his native Georgia at the age of 19. The goal of Red Lobster Inns, as the chain was originally called, was to bring seafood to landlocked areas at affordable prices. To keep checks low, there were no place mats and no bread. There was no lobster, either, at least at first, because it was too pricey. As Mr. Darden’s partner, Charley Woodsby, explained in his autobiographical “Red Lobster: The Beginning,” the pair settled on “Red Lobster” because they liked its sound.

Abundance was a theme from the start. Early offerings included the Neptune Platter, which included fried shrimp, oysters, fillet of flounder, frog legs, scallops, deviled crab cake, fried crab claws, hush puppies and a choice of potato or coleslaw for $2.50, the equivalent of $22.60 today. The interiors featured ship wheels and fishing nets. Waitresses wore sailor tops. Lines formed outside the original restaurant starting at 4 p.m., an hour before opening.

In 1970, General Mills, wanting to expand beyond Cheerios and Betty Crocker, bought the company. By 1983, there were 350 Red Lobsters in 36 states . It was the largest table-service dining chain in the country.

“We didn’t envision this kind of success,” Mr. Darden said that year, as the company expanded into Japan, worried it had reached a saturation point in the United States.

General Mills added Olive Garden to its portfolio and in 1995 created Darden Restaurants as a stand-alone corporation traded on the New York Stock Exchange. (Mr. Darden died the year before; the name was a tribute.) In the ensuing years, the glow faded from Red Lobster. Prices rose as China discovered a taste for lobster in the 2010s , and shipping, labor and factory costs kept climbing. All this made the chain a little too expensive for its core audience. Instead of updating the look of restaurants and upgrading equipment, Darden siphoned off money to its faster-growing brands, like LongHorn Steakhouse and the Capital Grille.

At the same time, seafood was becoming a protein of choice. Americans now eat four more pounds of seafood per capita than they did in 1980, and restaurants have met demand by adding shrimp and fish to their menus.

“When Outback Steakhouse introduced tilapia, I remember thinking that they were playing in our sandbox,” said Melissa Coyle, who managed Red Lobsters for 24 years, most recently in North Carolina. “We didn’t evolve, we didn’t maneuver fast enough to get the next generation of guests.”

Ms. Coyle had started as a Red Lobster server in Colonial Heights, Va. In 2018, she moved with her husband and their children to the Raleigh area, where she oversaw 10 locations bringing in $35 million in annual revenue. She planned to stay with Red Lobster until retirement.

“It was a great company, a company with a culture that was all about respect and integrity,” she said. “If you told somebody you worked at Red Lobster, you said it with a certain amount of pride.”

There was pride but dwindling profits. Nudged by activist investors, Darden sold Red Lobster in 2014 to Golden Gate Capital, a private equity firm in San Francisco, for $2.1 billion. The deal led to what one former Red Lobster executive described as “the original sin.” Golden Gate sold the real estate under 500 restaurants for $1.5 billion.

The transaction, called a sale-leaseback, netted a quick and immense windfall for Golden Gate and its shareholders. It produced something else for Red Lobster managers: a new expense called rent.

To industry observers, the deal was an outrage.

“These clowns basically ransacked Red Lobster,” said Phil Kafarakis, president of the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association, which represents food companies that sell to restaurants. “Golden Gate — they’re finance guys. They were just making a quick buck off a wounded animal. And it was a shame because it was a great brand in a very difficult category.”

Golden Gate declined to comment. In theory, cash from sale-leasebacks can be poured into a business that badly needs it. And Golden Gate bankrolled upgrades, former employees say, including a Kitchen of the Future project that included new sauté stations and software to streamline orders.

It was enough to inspire hopes that a turnaround was possible. Then came a fortuitous brush with hipness. In 2016, Beyoncé suggested in unprintable lyrics from her single “Formation,” released ahead of her Super Bowl halftime appearance, that she rewarded a lover’s finest efforts with visits to Red Lobster. Sadly, the company took eight hours to respond to a viral tweet about the song by the singer John Legend, and that response — “‘Cheddar Bey Biscuits’ has a nice ring to it, don’t you think? #Formation @Beyonce” — did not impress.

“ Yall had hours and this is what yall come up with ?” was a typical disappointed reply on Twitter.

The slip-up underscored a broader problem. Young and Black diners were trickling into Red Lobster, and the company never figured out how to market to them. It took until July of this year, two months after the company filed for bankruptcy, for it to unveil a collaboration with the rapper Flavor Flav, a longtime fan of the brand.

By 2020, Red Lobster’s leases were a tightening noose. They stipulated 2 percent annual increases, which slowly ballooned into as much as 50 percent of revenue in some locations. Many of the restaurants were built decades earlier, in areas that were out of favor. Moving was either impossible or cost prohibitive. A bankruptcy document filed by new management at the company in May said that last year Red Lobster spent $64 million on rent at “underperforming” restaurants.

Some of them were underperforming for a reason. A combination of suffocating overhead and sagging revenue had shuttered them for good. But Red Lobster still had to pay rent.

By 2020, Golden Gate was apparently done with the chain. That year, it found a buyer.

‘They’re in Omaha!’

Thai Union is one of the most formidable players in the expanding, $360-billion-a-year global seafood market. Founded in 1977, it’s a publicly traded frozen-and-canned-seafood powerhouse with 12 production facilities on four continents and more than 45,000 employees. The company sells food for pets and people, through brands such as Chicken of the Sea. Last year, it booked $3.8 billion in revenue .

Thai Union also sells to restaurants, and Red Lobster had been a customer for years. A very important customer. The restaurant chain buys more seafood than many countries do. For Thai Union, controlling Red Lobster would be equivalent to a coffee bean company’s bagging of Starbucks.

Before Red Lobster, Thai Union had never owned a restaurant. In 2016, Thai Union purchased a minority stake in the chain from Golden Gate for $575 million. Four years later, Golden Gate sold its remaining equity interest to Thai Union, Red Lobster management, and a consortium of investors called Seafood Alliance. Thai Union ended up the largest stakeholder, with 49 percent of the company.

The timing was disastrous. The pandemic had devastated the restaurant industry, and Red Lobster, already weak, was hit harder than most chains. Its older-than-average customers took longer to return to in-house dining, and because seafood doesn’t travel well the chain had little takeout infrastructure.

“In weekly Zoom meetings, everything became about cutting costs and upselling,” said Kristen Green, who managed locations in Rochester, N.Y., and then Pittsburgh. “Instead of satisfying guests so they will return more often, it was all about cutting down labor expenses and getting people to order more appetizers, more entrees, more desserts.”

Thai Union was impatient for results. One executive said he had received an email demanding a 17 percent increase in sales. It was a huge ask. If a typical restaurant increases sales by 2 percent, that’s a triumph.

At corporate headquarters in Orlando, Fla., Thai Union’s brass also made a memorable impression. Mr. Chansiri, the chief executive, had recruited Paul Kenny, a gray-haired Australian who had spent years in the chain restaurant business in Bangkok, to serve as the liaison to Thai Union. He arrived with plenty of good ideas: He wanted energy in the room, servers that smiled and customers eager to return.

But former employees — who requested anonymity because they expect to fight with Red Lobster’s new management over money — say he had a caustic style. He belittled frontline employees and C-suiters alike. During a meeting in Orlando, he banished a vice president to the outermost ring of chairs in a meeting when she gave an answer he didn’t like. (Mr. Kenny did not respond to repeated requests for comment.) Red Lobster’s chief executive, a much-admired industry veteran named Kelli Valade, left in April 2022, a mere eight months after she had started. Mr. Kenny took over.

Now fully in charge, Mr. Kenny and Mr. Chansiri started dropping by Red Lobster locations around the country. Their visits were mostly unannounced and filled managers with something close to terror. To prepare, meager resources were spent on repairs and fresh coats of paint. Servers rehearsed company scripts. Chefs were quizzed on recipes. As the touring executives traveled, their location was shared on a group text. (“They’re in Omaha!”)

The preparation never sufficed. No kitchen was clean enough. No waiter was prompt enough. The cooking was routinely savaged. Employees were occasionally left in tears.

In 2022, days before the start of the company’s General Manager Conference, an annual meeting that had long been an uplifting event, all six senior vice presidents of operations at Red Lobster were fired, along with the chief operating officer. When 700 managers and executives showed up in a hotel conference room in Dallas, they braced for a scolding.

When Mr. Chansiri took the stage, they got it. He said he was shocked by the financial performance of the chain and disappointed by the restaurants he had visited. Managers he and Mr. Kenny questioned didn’t know the answers to basic questions — such as, What percent of your revenue is from alcohol? — and the food he sampled was occasionally lousy. During his presentation, he posted photos on a huge screen of subpar dishes that he had been served on his tour.

Mr. Chansiri included a note of doom: If the chain didn’t vastly improve, it wouldn’t be around in a year.

“There was a scare culture at Red Lobster after that conference,” said Steven Varsava, a manager at the Murray, Utah, location. “I noticed a change in my director. He went from a cool guy to totally stressed.”

Many people, though, knew that Mr. Chansiri was right. Managers should know how much of their revenue comes from alcohol. Dishes should look consistently appealing. Red Lobster needed a shake-up.

In the months that followed, management introduced a new quality, service and cleanliness program as a kind of reset. Monthly audits were announced, too, along with disciplinary action for managers at locations that weren’t up to scratch.

The problem was that all of the changes required funds, and no money was forthcoming.

Frosty Boxes of Shrimp

Desperate to increase traffic and sales, Mr. Kenny and his colleagues tried a new product. They rolled out Cheddar Bay Shrimp, which used seasoning from the popular buns that are given out free at Red Lobster. When that dish failed to catch on, it was Hail Mary time.

Ultimate Endless Shrimp had long been an annual promotion, timed for the back-to-school period in September, when restaurant numbers dip. The rest of the year, it was a Monday-only offering. Now, it would be as permanent as the plastic bibs. The company announced on June 26, 2023 , that Endless Shrimp was “here to stay!”

The impact was instantaneous. There were lines out the door — because many guests wouldn’t leave. For a few months, there were no time limits, and no rules against sharing with friends or demanding to-go bags. And the influx of shrimpaholics skewed young and boisterous, changing the ambience of the restaurant and putting off core customers.

“Endless Shrimp brought out the worst in people,” said Mr. Varsava, who was then working in the Orem restaurant. “They complained that the shrimp was not coming out fast enough, or that it sat under the heat lamps for too long. And when they complained to corporate, it counted against our bonus.”

Overstretched waiters were asked to cover eight tables instead of four. They quit so often that Mr. Clarke spent much of his time trying to recruit new hires.

“I’d do 16 interviews over the weekend, and hire them all,” he recalled. “Three would show up. If we were lucky, they’d last a week or two. A bunch quit the same night they started. And I totally understood. We were hiring these kids and treating them like animals.”

For some locations, Endless Shrimp was a disaster in other ways. To make publicity easy and add a bit of buzz, the promotion cost the same $20 in rural Ohio as it did in Manhattan. That meant that in higher-income ZIP codes, Red Lobster lost about $3 every time an Endless Shrimper walked through the door.

This wouldn’t have mattered if, as hoped, diners had added high-margin items, like mango mai tais, to their tabs, or brought friends who wanted $40 surf and turf. It didn’t happen. In Orem, the average check fell to $28 from $36.

Former employees have a theory about why Endless Shrimp endured: Thai Union had decided that Red Lobster was a goner. And if Red Lobster could not be saved, Thai Union wanted to sell as much seafood as possible to the chain while it still could. (The company declined to comment on this point.)

True or not, in April of last year, Red Lobster canceled its contracts with two competing suppliers of breaded shrimp, according to a Red Lobster bankruptcy filing. It did so “under the guise” of a quality review, the filing stated, and “in apparent coordination with Thai Union.” This left “Thai Union with an exclusive deal that led to higher costs to Red Lobster.”

Thai Union didn’t actually provide endless amounts of shrimp. Shortages were common. An asterisk followed by the phrase “while supplies last” was added to some menus. And not only were Thai Union’s shrimp shipments sporadic and pricey. Some of the boxes were covered with frost.

“When they first started Endless Shrimp, Thai Union gave us fresh shrimp,” Mr. Varsava said. “As it progressed through the year, the dates went further and further in the past.”

There were complaints about the flavor.

“At that point,” Mr. Varsava went on, “I assumed that Thai Union bought us to clear out its inventory.”

In an email, a Thai Union spokesman said the company had controls that prevented it from sending shrimp that was beyond its sell-by date.

“At all times during Thai Union’s investment, operational,” the spokesman wrote, “procurement and supply decisions were conducted in accordance with the highest standards.”

By September of last year, Red Lobster had begun its death spiral. The company stopped paying many of its vendors. In Orem, a grease drain backed up on a Friday night, leaving an inch of fetid, oily water on the kitchen floor. When Mr. Clarke informed his boss, the instructions were clear: Do not call a plumber until Monday because the cost of a weekend visit will be much higher.

“If the health inspectors came Saturday or Sunday, we would have been shut down,” Mr. Clarke said. “I had to bring extra socks to work because they kept getting soaked.”

Dropping Red Lobster, the Thai Union spokesman wrote in the email, was the company’s only choice. “Despite an unprecedented global pandemic, higher interest rates, rising material and labor costs, an increased competitive environment, and rigid and unfavorable lease obligations, Thai Union continued to support the business and explored all avenues to resolve Red Lobster’s onerous financial obligations,” the spokesman wrote.

When Red Lobster filed for bankruptcy in May, it closed 140 restaurants — 544 have remained open — and stated that the chain was $1 billion in debt, having posted a $76 million net loss in 2023. Thousands of employees paid a more personal price. Many learned they were jobless when they showed up to find their restaurants had closed for good.

Ms. Coyle, the former North Carolina manager, ditched her plan to retire with the company. The Red Lobster she loved was gone, and in 2022 she found a new position at another chain. But still feels haunted by the professional relationship that defined her career.

“I liken it to a divorce,” she said. “When you’re with a company for 24 years, it sort of becomes your belief system.”

Not long ago, she agreed to meet me at the Red Lobster near Raleigh where she once worked and that is now shuttered. On the morning of the planned rendezvous, she changed her mind, and we met for breakfast in a strip mall instead.

“I was with the company my entire adult life,” she said. “Red Lobster afforded me a lot of good things in this world. It allowed me to raise my kids. And the struggles that they had affected me and my family —” She stopped for a moment. Tears began to roll down her face.

“Sorry,” she said. “That’s why I don’t want to go there.”

Today, Red Lobster is about to get a new owner. Fortress Investment Group in Manhattan, an investment management firm, made the only offer to acquire the chain as it languished in a bankruptcy court in Florida. On Thursday, the judge overseeing the case approved the deal. The price, $375 million, is a dizzying discount from the company’s $2.1 billion valuation 10 years ago.

Mr. Chansiri, for his part, would like to move on. During an earnings call in February , analysts peppered him with questions about the highest-profile misfire in Thai Union’s history.

“Red Lobster is done and over,” he said emphatically, through a translator. He seemed to want an end not just to Red Lobster-related questions, but to Red Lobster-related thoughts.

“Other people stop eating beef,” he said with a pained grin. “I’m going to stop eating lobster.”

Alain Delaquérière contributed research.

David Segal is a business reporter for The Times, based in New York. More about David Segal

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