Founded in 1999 by Canadians, Scott Coates and Daniel Fraser, we’ve gradually grown from our original base in Thailand to offer tours in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Nepal, bringing a unique travel experience to thousands of guests.
About Smiling Albino
- The New York Times, December 10, 2017, With Mobile Camping, Remote Destinations and Light Footprints
- Travel Press, September 11, 2017, Thailand Boosts Presence in Canada
- EconoTimes, June 30 10, 2017, Southeast Asian travel firm Smiling Albino accepts bitcoin payments directly from clients
- Forbes Travel Guide, May 10, 2017, Spending Three Perfect Days In Bangkok
- The Toronto Star, March 15, 2017, Bangkok: A City of Extremes
- The Toronto Star, March 15, 2017, Guide and locals reveal how to spend a day in Bangkok
- Global Travel Media, August 31, 2016, Smiling Albino Forms Strategic Merger with Indochine Exploration to Create Smiling Albino Cambodia
- Travel Weekly, July 27, 2016, Smiling Albino Rode Early Wave Into Luxury’s Hottest Trend
- Global Traveler, June 30, 2016, Smiling Albino Celebrates 15 Years With New Routes
- TravelAge West, May 4, 2016, Industry Q&A: Daniel Fraser
- The New York Times, April 28, 2016, Bangkok’s River of Kings
- Toronto Star, April 20, 2016, Cycling in the heart of the Golden Triangle
- Zooming, September, 2015, Walking with Giants
- Vanity Fair, November, 2014, Babylon Revisited
- Youinc.com, January 2013, When a Canadian bases his business in Thailand: Q&A with a Smiling Albino
- Calgary Herald, December, 2011, Calgarian’s exploits showcase Thai culture
- Bangkok Post, April 2011, Long Krung
- Outdoor Magazine, February 2007, Noord Thailand
- National Post, August 2006, Smiling Albino Gives Tours a Good Name
- The Guardian, August 2004, A Road Less Travelled
- Business Edge, September 2003, Travel Duo’s Business Off The Beaten Track
Innovative Travel
- Fah Thai, March/April 2011, Brewed Awakening
- Jetstar In-flight, March 2011, International Adventures – Yangon, Myanmar
- Traversing the Orient, October 2010, Down and Dirty
- Fah Thai, April 2010, Bangkok 1910
- Expat Living Singapore, December 2009, Trains, Boats and Planes
- Timeout Hong Kong, September 2009, HK Timeout Bangkok 1910
- Action Asia, November 2006, Cycle With a Smile
- Expat Living Singapore, November 2006, Tales of Thailand
- Toronto Star, July 2006, Easy Riding Through Traffic-choked City
Community Programs
- Expat Living Singapore, February 2011, Running Amok
- Ottawa Citizen, September 2005, Helping Others in Thailand
- Toronto Star, July 2004, Canadians Bringing Smiles to Thai Faces
- Calgary Herald, August 2003, Overseas Volunteers Find New Horizons
- Calgary Herald, September 2002, Teach and Learn in Rural Thailand
In September 1999 Daniel Fraser and Scott Coates left the comfortable confines of the marketing and media worlds in Canada to pursue a fantastic dream: to start an innovative travel company based on the ideals of fun and personal growth. Today, Smiling Albino (SA) is a premier choice for authentic, safe and enriching personalized adventures in Asia.
In 2013 Scott Coates left full-time operations at Smiling Albino and the team is headed full-time in Bangkok by Daniel Fraser and a team of Cultural Travel Enthusiasts who are passionate about what they do. Our nifty travel outfit has always stayed close to its roots: keeping travel fun, intimate and creative. With customized programs in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Nepal and Myanmar, we only choose to grow in directions where we believe we can add value.
Daniel Fraser — Co-founder and Director
Daniel first came to Thailand in 1995 to teach English, but not like most foreigners do. He was invited by the very revered Thai Royal Family to teach at Chitralada Palace under the direction of HRH Princess Sirindhorn as part of a university program. From the moment he touched down in the Land of Smiles he was in love. He went on to spend the next 16 months building contacts, learning all he could about the kingdom, its people and was hooked.
After graduating from Texas A&M with a degree in Commerce, he formally returned to Thailand and established Smiling Albino in 2000, leading the company as Director to this day – but it’s far from his only passion.
When not designing the next big adventure, usually atop a Harley Davidson, Daniel can be found dabbling in a myriad of other areas. During his tenure in the region he’s been a successful model, gracing the pages of magazines, featured in many television commercials and in 2004 co-starred in Thailand’s first all digital film The Garuda. His lines were in Thai and his performance received favorable reviews. A promotional television presenter for the Tourism Authority of Thailand, he’s regularly called upon to host programs about traveling the country, liaise as translator for visiting government officials and consult on tourism-related projects. He often serves as emcee at regional events and is a facilitator for a leading management training company.
Recently Daniel has jumped into television, as the host of a popular national TV show in Thailand called Long Krung (หลงกรุง), a Thai-language series investigating unique sides of Thailand and its culture through the eyes of a resident Canadian.
There are simply not enough hours in the day for Daniel and he regularly trades hours sleeping for working in the office, blazing new trails and attending industry events. His personality and enthusiasm for life and Asia are infectious. An hour with him and you’re sure to be hooked.
About Smiling Albino
- June 22, 2017, Southeast Asia Travel Company Banks on Bitcoin PDF — 129KB
- August, 2015, Smiling Albino’s Daniel Fraser offers new tours and market insights on North America visit. PDF — 1.1MB
- Feb 17, 2012, Planet Asia Travel Channel offers expert travel advice, interviews, and insight PDF — 162KB
- May 24, 2011, Thai PBS Series Brings Fresh Perspective to Bangkok Travel PDF — 28KB
- July 2, 2010, Tourism Authority of Thailand selects Smiling Albino to host media during their Smile @ Ratchaprason event PDF — 26KB
- October 6, 2009, Smiling Albino (SA) celebrates 10 years of growth and success in SE Asia PDF — 23KB
- August 14, 2008, Smiling Albino expands with three innovative trips in three countries PDF — 27KB
- February 25, 2008, Smiling Albino (SA) celebrates eight years of growth and success in Asia PDF — 13KB
SA Adventures
- January 10, 2011, Smiling Albino (SA) continues to blaze exciting new trails in Asia PDF — 30KB
- October 4, 2010, Road to Angkor athletic adventure takes travellers to Angkor Wat Half Marathon PDF — 27KB
- July 30, 2010, Smiling Albino (SA) unveils a series of innovative new adventures in Asia PDF — 25KB
- July 30, 2010, Smiling Albino (SA) unveils a suite of world-class motorcycle adventures PDF — 28KB
- July 30, 2010, Jazzmandu — Smiling Albino launches new adventure at Himalayan music festival PDF — 28KB
- January 2, 2010, Smiling Albino (SA): Bangkok 1910 takes visitors into Thailand’s majestic past PDF — 60KB
Smiling Albino (SA) co-founder Daniel Fraser is a regular public speaker at industry events, media gatherings and festivals within and outside of the travel industry. He has presented to school groups, university classes, government bodies, NGOs, numerous international clubs/associations and been called upon to emcee many professional events. Please visit www.danielbfraser.com for a list of recent topics he has delivered:
- Travel & Triumph: creating a world-class travel company in a challenging international environment
- Rising to the Challenge: cycling to Mount Everest Base Camp in Tibet
- Bettering Communities: finding opportunities in the communities we travel, raising funds, developing/managing new community programs
- Niche Tourism: finding new opportunities in a cluttered travel community
- Adding Value: raising the value of your product with little to no money
- Confessions of a Travelholic: the weird, wacky & wild of living and working in SE Asia – 1999 — 2010
- Crossing Cultures: working in Asia and finding balance/understanding between different nationalities on the same team
Essential information about Smiling Albino (SA) is downloadable as a PDF file. This kit includes:
- Background of SA
- What makes us special
- What about our name?
- Bios of the founders
- Speaking topics and accolades
If you’d like to schedule an interview with us please send us an email to pr@smilingalbino.com, and we’ll get back to you very quickly.
Photos
We’re happy to supply print-quality images to bring life to your story. A selection of our photos is available for use in your media pieces as needed. Selection of Photos. We ask that you attribute all images as follows: “Image courtesy of smilingalbino.com”
If you’d like another image please send us an email to pr@smilingalbino.com and we’ll help supply one that’s perfect for your piece. Don’t forget that we also maintain a larger photo library, with hundreds of other photographs.
Smiling Albino Logo
The Smiling Albino logo is available in PNG format below. If you’d like a different file format or one of a higher resolution, please contact us at pr@smilingalbino.com.
- PNG – Smiling Albino Logo

