After being blessed in Nepal

Born and raised in Canada, Scott is a character blessed with a unique sixth sense - the sense for adventure. An avid outdoor enthusiast, he’s willing to try most things once. Like many entrepreneurs, he’s skilled at capitalizing on possibility, whether it’s the prospects of an undiscovered mountain trail or a means to bring English language training to rural children. Combining business savvy with human compassion, Scott is adept at marshalling resources, both human and monetary, behind a simple idea and making it an international success. In Thailand his efforts in pioneering community outreach programs and volunteer tourism projects in education, mentoring orphans and rehabilitating abused gibbon apes have gained recognition both in Asia and North America. In 2004 Scott was awarded Alberta’s ‘Provincial Award Celebrating Excellence’ (PACE), which is awarded to an Albertan who has used their post-secondary education to grow a career while benefiting the global community. Further, the ‘Scott Coates – Smiling Albino Scholarship’ was launched at Calgary’s Mount Royal College in fall 2004. His pursuits have been covered in the National Post as well as a variety of television and radio stations across Canada.

With a background in communications and journalism Scott has written freelance articles for publications worldwide, including Penguin’s ‘Time Out Thailand’ travel guide. He’s also been a guest lecturer at colleges/universities on eco-tourism and social entrepreneurship. In his spare time (yeah right), he’s liaised as a team-building facilitator for companies such as Johnson & Johnson, IBM and BP Oil. A consummate world traveler, special accomplishments include hiking the Inca Trail to Macchu Picchu, ascending past 5000m in Bolivia, and riding his mountain bike throughout the Kingdom of Thailand. As Smiling Albino adventure leader and host, Scott’s attention to detail and fascination for ‘the next neat thing’ brings a real sense of “sanuk” – Thai for “fun” – on our guest’s journeys throughout The Land of Smiles.