Many things start in the kitchen— the hum of a flame, steam rising from a wok, and that hypnotic dance of heat and spice. For Chef Pichaya ‘Pam’ Soontornyanakij, it was within these kitchen walls that her journey took shape. Surrounded by the fragrant haze of Thai-Chinese flavors, she discovered a passion that would burn bright enough to make her the World’s Best Female Chef in 2025. In the kitchen’s quiet chaos, Chef Pam learned that food was never just sustenance—it’s an unfolding story, a window to her roots, and a tool to carve a path all her own.
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A Foundation in Flavor
Chef Pam’s early years began in the labyrinth of Bangkok’s streets, where she was born into a family deeply rooted in Chinese herbal medicine. Raised with a Thai-Chinese-Australian background, her early experiences with food were grounded in a blend of cultures that shaped both her identity and her cuisine.
But soon enough, the world beyond her multicultural roots was calling. After studying Communication Arts at Chulalongkorn University, she answered with a leap of faith into the formalities of the culinary world, starting at Le Cordon Bleu in Bangkok.
Then, it was the bright lights of New York that truly further fueled this passion. At the Culinary Institute of America, surrounded by the city’s hum and endless opportunity, she honed the kind of craftsmanship that would one day earn her the title of the World’s Best Female Chef.
A Meteoric Rise
Looking back, however, this ascent in this ladder she was on was more meteoric than gradual. By 21, she’d just become the youngest chef to win the Asia Youth Hope Cooking Contest in 2011. And, by 2023, she had already achieved what many chefs spend decades trying to accomplish—she got both a Michelin star and the Opening Year award for Potong, her flagship restaurant nestled in Bangkok’s Chinatown.
It was a feat: a 20-course tasting menu that melded the essence of progressive Thai-Chinese cuisine with an avant-garde approach.
Now, Chef Pam has shattered yet another glass ceiling—becoming the first-ever Thai female chef to receive the title of World’s Best Female Chef. With each accolade, each recognition, she dismantled the assumption that culinary excellence was reserved for the West. So it wasn’t just this glass ceiling that she broke through. She’s become a culinary prodigy representing her home turf, the world had no choice but to take notice.
The Power of the Southeast Asian Female Chef
You’ll see that it’s more than a set of personal feats for the chef, but a seismic shift in the way we view food and culture.
The “prestige” that once wore an American or European face is starting to look more global, and we have the likes of Chef Pam to thank. She’s the first Asian and Thai female chef to be named the Best Female Chef in the world—and that’s no small feat.
After all that’s been said, what’s there to take away? It’s that mastery no longer needs a French accent or a white toque to be taken seriously. Sometimes, it comes in a herby dish, speaks in five elements, and walks into the room wrapped in centuries of inherited grit. Other times, it’s a Southeast Asian woman who knows exactly how much space she’s owed—and isn’t afraid to take it.
Featured Image and Photos: POTONG RESTAURANT(via Instagram), GASTROFILM, CHEF PAM, JETSETTER HK, and THE BEST CHEF AWARDS (via website)
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