Hello, my name is

Thao Nguyen.

Vietnamese American female holding two durian fruits above her shoulders in front of a tree with red and green round leaves and a white Honda cry in the background

Born and raised in New Orleans, I’m a Vietnamese-American who loves durian.
I’m a writer at heart and an avid scuba diver by ancestral calling. Living in four different countries: U.S., Singapore, Indonesia, and Viet Nam has given me a world view on how to create a more colorful and fulfilling life. Most of my travels were academically funded during my college career at the University of Wyoming. 22 countries later, there’s no plan of stopping. I left my six-figure corporate job in 2022 and pivoted towards full-time writing about travel, scuba diving, marine conservation, and my entrepreneurial journey. Welcome to ThaoTalks and I hope you enjoy the show!

 FAQs

  • Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisana, USA.
    Bouncing between Wyoming and Texas for the last 13 years.

    For the people who are trying to ask about ethnicity or race, I am a daughter of Vietnamese emigrants.

  • 22

    Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba England, Canary Islands, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Macao, Mexico, Malaysia, Netherlands, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Scotland, Singapore, Thailand, United States, Vietnam, & Wales

    • Native English speaker

    • Bahasa Indonesian (intermediate conversationalist) from UKSW in Salatiga, Indonesia

    • Vietnamese (conversant)

    • Stories about 22 countries I’ve traveled

    • My love for scuba diving

    • Marine Conservation policies and progress

    • Personal development in this wild and precious journey that is my life

  • University of Wyoming for both:

    • Bachelor’s degree in Political Science

    • Master’s of Arts in:
      (1) Political Science
      (2) Environment & Natural Resources

  • SCUBA DIVING

    • Scuba Schools International (SSI): Specialty Diver– Stress & Rescue, Specialty Course – Science of Diving, React Right – First Aid, CPR, AED, Over 70+ Dives

    • Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI): Open Water Certification – Advanced Open Water Certification

    SAFETY

    • OSHA 30-hour training for the construction industry

    • HAZWOPER 40

    • First aid, CPR, and AED Trainer - National Safety Council

    • International Marine Conservation Conference 5, Sarawak, Malaysia – “Local perception of conservation in Karimunjawa National Park, Central Java, Indonesia”

    • Fulbright Regional Enrichment Conference, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Innovative and Resilient ASEAN Communities

    • American Indonesian Exchange Foundation, Surabaya, Indonesia – “National tourism policy and local perception in Wakatobi National Park, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia”

    • Universitas Diponegoro, Semarang, Indonesia – “Environmental change in the U.S. and Indonesia”

    • Universitas Brawijiya, Malang, East Java, Indonesia – “Identity politics in the United States”

    • Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Conservation, Wangi-Wangi, Indonesia – “Conservation and tourism careers”

    • University of Wyoming Board of Trustee Haub School, Laramie, Wyoming – “International education and collaboration”

    • U.S. State Department Fulbright Student Researcher

    • U.S. State Department Critical Language Enhancement Award

    • Center for Global Studies Excellence Research/ Fieldwork Grant

    • UWYO Graduate Assistantship

CONTACT