CV of your guide

	Daniel Gerbault

I first came to Thailand in 1980 from France as a tourist and decided to come back to stay, fascinated by the rich culture and the hospitality of the Thai people.

Frustrated not to be able to communicate in the vernacular language, I quickly realized that learning Thai (Siamese) was absolutely necessary, so I decided to take private lessons with a Thammasat University teacher and practiced with my host family.

I studied the 44 letters of the alphabet, the five tones.

After a 7 years stay, I successfully passed a diploma in Thai language for foreigners organized by the Ministry of Education.

Meanwhile I worked as a French lecturer at Thammasat University in Bangkok.

The French Department offered me to train tour guides for the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

After several trips in South and Southeast Asia, I became interested by ethnic minorities in Indochina, especially after reading anthropologist academic studies. (See booklist attached in this site).

I also can read and speak Lao since Lao and Thai are closely related.
After having traveled in remote areas of Laos, Burma and Thailand, I went to offer my services to tour operators such as Terres d’aventure (French T.O.), Artou (Swiss T.O.). Willing to develop new destinations, I proposed to set up new trekking routes in Northern Laos, Thailand and Burma, to look for reliable local tour operators and finally guided groups.

Experience in Southeast Asia:

French-Thai interpreter for various organizations such as the Thai Physical Education Department and the French Embassy in Thailand (see certificate) during training sessions of football coaches led by Jean-Michel Bénézet, an international football coach.

guide of a French photographer of Gamma agency in Burma (photos of Burmese boxing bouts).

co-ordinator and interpreter for a French television producer, Upside TV (see certificate): stories on animals such as elephants, monkeys, cobras, cultural events, traditional sports. The stories were sold to France2, a national TV channel.

Translator- interpreter at the international press center of the 20th World Scout Jamboree (see certificate) (Sattahip,Thailand).

Scouting in Laos for Gil Kebaili, film director for Ushuaia Nature, a French TV program: trek in Phongsaly, Nam Tha & Mekong river.

2006-07: guide and organizer of several treks in Northern Laos& in Northern Burma (regions of Putao & Kengtung). Rafting in Umphang.

2007: in Laos : coordinator and translator for the shooting of a 26’ documentary on elephants in Laos for the French- speaking Swiss television TSR and ARTE (Franco-German TV). subject of the film: scouting a new trekking route on elephant through the forest with the collaboration of an NGO protecting the Lao elephants. Logistics for the TV team, interview of a veterinarian mobile unit. Application of the film permit at the Lao press Dept.

2008: Laos : guide and coordinator(fixer) for the filming of a 45’ documentary on ecotourism for the Franco-German channel ARTE.
sites filmed: Gibbon experience, a wildlife reserve where tourists stay in tree houses linked by a zip- line (Bokeo province), scouting a new trekking route in Phongsaly, a trek on elephant with the collaboration of Elefantasia, a music master in Luang Prabang, a Buddhist meditation retreat, Konglo cave in Khamuan. Logistics for the TV team, translation of the interviews. Application of the film permit at the Lao press Dept.

2009-10: trekking guide  along the Burmese border in a Karen village (Umphang district, Tak Province). Elephant riding and bamboo rafting in Kanchanaburi.