According to King Vajiravudh or Rama VI, the three pillars that hold together the Thai society are - nation, religion and monarchy. Despite the technological, economical and scientific advancements, it is on the basis of its distinct cultural identity that the world recognizes Thailand. Hence, it is necessary to promote awareness of cultural heritage and pride of being a Thai among children and youth. The concept of art education in Thailand is concentrated on developing personal and creative instincts and styles among children. Section 23 under National Education Act directs compulsory education till age of nine that accommodates knowledge about the history, culture, traditions, art forms and sports of Thailand.

Costa Rica - Natural Attractions
By Tatyana Kogut

Costa Rica is a resort country with a total of 74 resorts located on its territory. Lush greenery, mountains and ocean – that’s what you should come here for. The country’s main attractions are: national resorts, mountains and underwater caves, waterfalls, picturesque valleys and volcanoes. More than 25% of the country’s territory are occupied by government-protected natural parks.

I’m an offbeat tourist. I try not to do as the other tourists do and not to go where the others go. I do not try to show-off or something like that. I just leave many places that are considered to be a must-visit behind. That is all.

For instance, I haven’t been to the Louvre. It’s not a reason for pride and it’s not a cause for regret. I just didn’t want to race through the halls making short stops near three points (Nike, Venus de Milo, Mona Lisa). This museum is worth being admired for a long time, which I didn’t really have. But I do hope to come to Paris again…

It’s impossible to visit France and not to attend one of the main attractions of the French capital - the Louvre. The biggest and the most famous world museum was opened to public on August 10, 1793. Before that it used to be a private museum available only to the elite of the court. The palace, where the museum is situated, is more than 800 years old, being initially a fortress of Philip Augustus. Today there is a special exhibition devoted to this page of the museum history. Works of all historical epochs and art currents (up to the XIX century) are represented in the Louvre. The Italian collection, which is considered to be the best outside the limits of Italy, has always attracted connoisseurs, tourists and artists from all over the world.

Paris is one of the most visited cities in the world. Millions of tourists come here every day. So when planning your trip to Paris make sure you have a place to stay at. Don’t go to the city without a reservation. The majority of the Paris hotels have official websites, so it’s very easy to book a room on-line. Another variant is to reserve a room via fax, using a special form included in the website. Write dates of stay, time of arrival, number of people, type of room you desire, required facilities and location. Wait until you get a confirmation - and here you are! You have a place to stay at when in Paris! Don’t forget to bring a copy of your reservation (whether it was made via fax or email) when you check in.

I decided to share my impressions about the trip to Rome as my emotions still linger…

The decision to go to Italy was made shortly before the journey, so we didn’t have much time to prepare for that. But we managed to organize the trip as quickly as possible. And, as it turned out, we planned everything very well.

Rome covered us in the suffocating heat as it’s extremely hot in Rome in August. We wanted to hire a taxi but didn’t like the faces of the drivers approaching us, so we decided to take a suburban train called “Leonardo Express”. I should say it’s rather comfortable and inexpensive.

Japan offers a wide range of accommodation options, but nothing is as quirky as a capsule hotel. The first capsule hotel opened in Osaka in 1979 and they can now be found in major cities across Japan. The capsule hotel idea has not taken off anywhere else though which makes for a unique Japanese accommodation experience.

Upon arrival you take your shoes off, as you would in a Japanese home, and place them into a shoe locker at the front entrance. Hand the locker key to reception and once you are done with check in formalities you are given another locker key attached to a wristband. The number on your wristband is your locker number and capsule number.

One summer my friend and I decided to go to Italy during the summer holidays. Having read information about the tours we decided to do without travel agencies. We didn’t want to stick to strict programs, to be in the crowds of tourists, losing lots of possibilities to get acquainted with the country more intimately so we started to think over our trip.

There is so much bombardment of advertising on which airline is offering the lowest fares and why you should use their services to book your travel. However, it all comes down to where you can book lower travel and be able to get good customer service with your purchase.

Years ago you would go into a brick and mortar travel agency to book your travel, but the Internet has taken over the face of travel today. What this means is that you no longer are able to sit face to face with someone or make that last minute phone call to get more details. Only a few online travel agencies offer their customers the added phone service. “Book your travel and forget it,” seems to be the mantra for most online travel agencies. In other words, you are on your own after you make that online purchase.

An annual holiday is always something to look forward to, but it’s good to treat yourself in between those holiday periods as well. One way to do this is by booking a weekend break - and the possibilities for what you can do are endless.



First of all, think about whether you would like to relax and unwind: somewhere quiet and peaceful, or whether you would prefer to de-stress by taking part in an outdoor activity like boating or mountain biking, for example. Your answer to this question should give you some ideas on what kind of location would be best for you.



You don’t have to go that far a-field to get away from it all either. In fact, when you are spending a weekend away you don’t want to be travelling for hours to get to your destination. Pick somewhere that is ideally not much more than a couple of hours away from your home. That way you can get an early start on Saturday and still enjoy the whole day - and on Sunday you won’t have to worry about leaving early to get home in time for a good night’s sleep before work the next day.



Once you’ve got an idea of the kind of area you’d like to visit, you’ll need to pre-book your accommodation for the night. Treat yourself to a nice hotel room that you can relax and unwind in after a day’s sightseeing. Most hotels will also be able to advise you of any particularly good places to visit in the area - giving you some ideas for how to spend Sunday.



The great thing about a weekend break is that you don’t need to take too much with you. A small overnight bag should be enough to hold everything you need; if you are planning on taking part in any activities you can always hire any equipment that’s required.



You can also organise a surprise break for your partner if you wish. It’s a wonderful way to de-stress and spend some quality time together. Try and choose an area you would both enjoy, and that has a wide range of sights and activities to enjoy, depending on what mood you are both in.



To make the most of your weekend break, you can take the Friday off from work - or at least finish early - so you can get to your destination and spend two nights there instead of one. You can then spend the evening enjoying a nice meal or going to the cinema to see a film, safe in the knowledge you still have two whole days to enjoy.



In short, a weekend away can keep you going until your next big holiday comes around. It doesn’t need to cost much and the benefits you will gain from it can be better than you think.