Veo started at Pha Tad Ke as gardener in 2010 but with her passion for plants moved up and since 2015 is our Database Manager. As such she has a pivotal role to keep track or all the living and herbarium collections with over 4.500 plant records recorded in the last year. She loves plants and enjoys the family feeling at PTK. She is a graduate of the Northern Agricultural and Forestry College and comes from a farming family. Veo wants to “be someone who helps our country to protect our plants.”

A regular visitor to China and Southeast Asia since 1976, he has developed a keen interest in Asian culture. In 2004, a trip down the Mekong River took him to Luang Prabang. He immediately fell under the spell of this ancient town and decided to move there. With his associate Khamphanh Inthavong, he has set up a company called Inthado, with the aim of building a collection of long-term rental houses in a style that respects the town’s UNESCO protected Lao colonial architecture. From 2010 to 2014 he annimated Project Space a multifunction non-profit space for producing exhibitions and events.

Born in Aruba, in the Caribbean, in 1964. After studying philosophy, he established in Amsterdam a publishing house and gallery called Picaron Editions, devoted to works of philosophy, poetry and art. In 1992 he moved to Paris where he created the internationally renowned art fairs Paris Photo, ArtistBook International, and Parcours des Mondes. In 2007, he visited Laos, and had a revelation. “Who would have thought that a week’s stay in Laos would have turned my life around so much that I’d end up moving to the other side of the world, into a country and a culture that I knew nothing about, to launch myself on a completely new path and a huge adventure. Here I am in Luang Prabang, one of the most fascinating places on earth. And, I also have the privilege of working with amazing people on the discovering and classifying of an exceptional flora for the creation of the first botanical garden in Laos.”

Chan started at Pha Tad Ke in November 2016 when the garden opened to the public as our chef. With her passion for Lao cuisine and locally sourced food, she has taken the garden on to the Forbes Top 10 Table to Farm experiences. She is from the North of Laos and spent many years working in her family and then her own restaurant before moving to Luang Prabang. Chan loves working at the garden where she can create seasonal menus, using lots of herbs and healthy organic products and edible flowers. As a chef, Chan loves to talk with her customers about the food and to find out what they enjoy. “PTK is very quiet, there is a nice view of the lily pond and everyone here works together and I enjoy.”

Bong graduated from the Integrated Vocational Education and Training school of Oudomxay province. As a daughter from a farmer’s family she started working at Pha Tad Ke in 2019 as gardener in our butterfly farm and soon took on to work in our permaculture farm as well. She enjoyed learning about insects so much that from beginning of 2022 she will be a trainer in our Insect Food Farm for local communities, a new part of our Permaculture Farm.

Pascal was born in the south of France. After his studies, he worked around different places in France, then, curious about other cultures, he decided to travel to Southeast Asia and along his trip discovered the mysterious Laos. After several trips, in 2000 he found work in the humanitarian sector and settled in Vientiane. His experiences as a project manager, consultant and Director have allowed him to better understand the socio-economic context of Laos and the unique richness of its flora and fauna. Pascal is also passionate about botanical orchids, which Laos is rich in. During his missions in the countryside and forests, he observed the drastic depletion of orchids in their natural environment, which led him to create in 2006 the first botanical orchid farm in Laos linking the conservation of biodiversity and support for the livelihood of villagers. Believing that conservation and livelihood are closely linked, Pascal is involved in various projects of NGOs, private companies and Lao governments linking preservation of biodiversity, socio-economic support and associating scientific institutions (CIRAD, IRD, National University of Laos) , villagers and private companies. “Always exiting by new challenges, Pha Tad Ke offers me the opportunity to go further in my holistic approach capable of reconciling the diverse interests of local people, government agencies and corporations for the benefit of biodiversity.”

Has been working for the garden since 2010. She’s from Vientiane but has lived in Luang Prabang since 2005. She brings her natural drive and energy, coupled with an impressive array of studies including nursing and business degrees, to the task of promoting local awareness of PTK. “I heard about the garden, and when I saw it I said ‘Wow! I love it !’” Phetsamone handles interaction with government authorities, organizes the school outreach program working with teachers and children via schools and libraries, and manages the Pha Tad Ke reception at our boat landing in town.

Former Head Gardener Somdy was at PTK since the very beginning in 2008, he comes naturally to the job as he is from the market garden area of nearby Xieng Ngeun. Now established at his own farm he works as freelance Permaculture Trainer at PTK. “It is good to have your own job to do but I enjoy the way we can share ideas and learn from each other.”

Is a distinguished botanist with a PhD from the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, France. From 1996 till 2005 she was Dean of the Faculty of Science, NUoL, Member of National University Council and Senior Lecturer. Author of many publications amongst others the “Field guide of wild Orchids of Lao PDR” (2005) and “The Dipterocarpaceae of Lao” (1995). Now that she is retired she is busier then ever as head of several research projects and an invaluable advisor to Pha Tad Ke.

Finished his BSc at the Faculty of Forestry at Souphanouvong University in Luang Prabang, he loves to draw and is in charge of all the landscape design. He comes from a nearby village and started as a gardener at PTK. He began to see what plants thrived together and what looked good. Behind his quiet demeanor and shy smile there is a real passion for his art and for nature. “I like to see the plants grow and to move them to the place where they will grow best. You need to care for them and find what they need and how to put them together.”

Biba Vilayleck is a doctor in ethno-linguistics and author of several publications on ethno-botany. She lived in Laos for over ten years and now visits every year as resident ethno-botanist at Pha Tad Ke. As a regular contributor to the French/Lao magazine Le Renovateur she wrote a weekly column that published over 600 plant descriptions. With Baj Strobel she wrote “Fleurs de la Devotion”, published by Pha Tad Ke in 2011 as the first book in our ethno-botanic series, followed in 2014 by “Jouer la nature”, illustrated by Tiao Somsanith Nithakhong. Her latest book “La Voie des Arbres dans le Bouddhisme. du lotus originel aux grands ficus” was published by Editions Maisonneuve, Paris, 2021.

Houmphanh started working at Pha Tad Ke in 2012 as a junior gardener and was subsequently trained by the arborist John Learned in tree maintenance and pruning. Houmphanh, who is from Ban Chan village next to Pha Tad Ke, is in charge of tree maintenance and our Ethnobotanic garden, he is very interested in plants and the spirit-world and would like to study more to become a Mo Phon.