Willment Leong Sai-Onn [1](Chinese: 梁世安; pinyin: Liáng shì'ān; Jyutping: loeng4 sai3 on1;[2] Thai: วิลเมนต์ ลีออง; born October 13, 1971) is a Singaporean chef residing and working in Thailand. He serves as the Continental Director for Asia and an executive board member of Worldchefs for the term 2022–2026. He is the founder of the Thailand Culinary Academy [3] and participates as a board member and host in several cooking competition shows. He was also a partner and owner of the restaurant COAL Bistro before he left at the end of 2025.[4][5]
Willment Leong | |
|---|---|
| Born | Leong Sai-Onn[1] October 13, 1971 |
| Spouse | Bencharat Prapluettrakul |
Early life
editWillment was born on October 13, 1971 in Singapore, into a poor family. His father sold fruit and his mother was a homemaker. He has four siblings. He only completed schooling up to Grade 9. [6] At age 16, he left home and began working in restaurant kitchens, believing that working in cooking would always provide a way to survive. He also briefly studied culinary arts for nine months before dropping out. He later worked as a dishwasher at the Raffles Hotel, then was promoted to assistant chef, before leaving to start a bakery. Unfortunately, during the Asian financial crisis in 1997, his bakery business collapsed with debts of over ten million baht. Distressed, he once nearly attempted suicide by walking into the sea, but an older man intervened and stopped him.[7]
Career
editAfter his bakery venture failed, Willment returned to work at Raffles Hotel (this time at a branch in Cambodia). Later he moved to Thailand to work in the restaurant business there.[7]
In 2010, he founded the Thailand Culinary Academy to help develop professional Thai chefs and support them in global competitions.[7][3][2]
He was also a partner and owner of the restaurant COAL Bistro before he left at the end of 2025.[4][5]
Filmography
edit| Year | Show | Role | Season and Episode |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Junior MasterChef Thailand | Guest Judge | S1 (Only one) |
| 2017 | Top Chef Thailand | Head Judge | Season 1 |
| 2018 – 2019 | Season 2 | ||
| 2019 – 2020 | Season 3 | ||
| 2023 | Season 4 | ||
| 2024 | Hell's Kitchen Thailand Season 1 | Judge | Season 1 |
| The Restaurant War Thailand | Head teacher | ||
| 2025 | MasterChef The Professionals Thailand | Guest judge | Season 1 EP. 12 |
| The Restaurant War Thailand | Head teacher | Season 2 | |
| Hell's Kitchen Thailand Season 2 | Judge | ||
| 2026 | The Restaurant War Street King Thailand | Head teacher | Season 3 |
References
edit- 1 2 "โรงเรียนการเรือน กิจกรรมแลกเปลี่ยนเรียนรู้เพื่อก้าวสู่ความเป็นมืออาชีพด้านอาหารยุโรป". dusit.ac.th (in Thai). Retrieved October 14, 2025.
- 1 2 "大葉大學泰國主廚示範教學 高中職學生接軌國際". Dayeh University Website (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved October 14, 2025.
- 1 2 "Share What You Have with Willment Leong of World Chefs Without Borders". Worldchefs.org. Retrieved October 14, 2025.
- 1 2 "'เชฟวิลเมนต์' ปรุงอาหารสุกด้วย 'ถ่าน' ที่ร้าน 'COAL BISTRO & BAR'". bangkokbiznews.com (in Thai). Retrieved October 14, 2025.
- 1 2 "His post on Instragram". instagram.com. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
- ↑ "เจาะชีวิตหลังครัว "เชฟวิลเมนท์" ลั่น จบแค่ ม.3 ไต่เต้าจนคว้า "ท็อปเชฟ" โรงแรม 5 ดาว". sanook.com (in Thai). Retrieved October 14, 2025.
- 1 2 3 "เจาะใจ : เปิดใจ...เชฟวิลเมนท์ ลีออง 1 ก.ค. 60". youtube.com (in Thai). Retrieved October 14, 2025.