There is never a good time for an accident to happen. But when you and your family are on holiday and an accident occurs abroad, it can be daunting.

There are international laws protecting travellers. The 1992 Package Travel, Package Holiday and Package Tour Regulation now aids victims of foreign holiday accidents to claim compensation for their injuries. Rather than the outdated policy of travellers filing claims in the country where the accident occurred, this regulation permits the claim to be filed in the UK.

Companies that provided package holiday tours have a duty of care to provide safe passage, hygienic hotels in safe locations and safe activities for those entrusted into their care. They are also responsible for your travel within the foreign countries, such as transport to and from airports abroad and transportation within the destination cities. The tour company is responsible for your overall safety. These responsibilities extend to those who would provide excursions and day trips.

Injuries could result from food poisoning, wet surfaces causing a fall, illness from ill-kept hotels or inns, water sports accidents and more. Any activity that is part and parcel of the package tour falls within the operators’ responsibility.

Should a mishap occur, it is vital to gather as much information as possible. Make the tour director aware of the incident. Call for medical assistance if needed and document any injuries. Take photos before anything is moved. Take down the information of witnesses who will be able to confirm the details of the accident. Make certain you have copies of medical reports and any other reports and statements taken by the police or the tour company personnel.

Once you arrive back in the UK, contact a solicitor such as Holiday Claims immediately. There are time limitation on compensation claims, so time is critical in these matters. Have all the information available for your solicitor and he will advise you of the necessary steps to be taken.

As you head off for your summer holiday, keep these tips in mind. You’ll rest easier if you know you are prepared for the unexpected. Be safe as you travel. Bon voyage!

Cruising is a great way of travel to spend your holiday. Nowadays, it is already a normal thing for us to be connected even when we are in travel, and so, bringing our laptop with us is always a choice. As majority of the cruise lines are now WiFi enabled, using the internet while cruising is now easier. However, one should be aware that internet access is a bit costly. As of October 2009, it has been known that internet access ranges from 30 to 75 cents per minute. That is why, it is important for you to do a little research about it. How will you use your laptop on a cruise ship are listed below.
Before you engage into cruising, calling your chosen cruise line is a useful thing to do. You must have to find out first if wireless internet access is available and if they limit personal computer access. It is also important that you inquire about the rate for wireless and regular shipboard internet access for you to have a great and useful comparison.
Purchasing a wireless internet access in larger package will cost you less as these packages has lower per minute rate. One can also join a frequent cruiser club in order to get some free or discounted internet access fee.
It is also important that you have back-up on all your files, passwords are encrypted, and attach a sticker with your contact on your laptop, just in case you laptop is lost.
While cruising, logging on and off more often is the best way to save on internet usage. One can download all the emails at the same time and read it while offline. When response is needed, type in your response first and login again when your mail is ready for sending.
Keep your laptop with your at all times when using it outside your cabin to prevent it from theft.
The above-mentioned are just a few of the important things you should keep in mind when using your laptop on a cruise ship.

Get the chance to experience and participate on Thai people’s traditional activities during the Songkran Festival or the Thai New Year, a four-day activity that happens in the month of April every year. Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike are welcome to go to the temple and witness various activities, eat, drink, and throw water. The four-day activity consists of the following:
April 12 – it is called as the Wan Sungkharn Lohng. Thai people on this day do the house cleaning and general preparation for the New Year. However, if you are in Chiang Mai, this is the day wherein the Songkran procession is held. The procession consists of Buddha images and attendant on beautifully floats with beautiful décors accompanied by the locals and minstrels. After the procession or parade, the water fight will follow.
April 13 is the day Wan Nao. This is the day where people cooked foods and preserved it for the Buddhist merit –making that is happening on the following day. On the other hand, activities happening at the Wat Prasingh temple continue and locals go to the banks of the Mae Ping River in the evening to gather sand and deposit it in piles topped with flowers in the temple.
April 14 is the third day of celebration and is called as the Wan Payawan. On this is day is when the grand New Year celebration begins at early in the morning with people doing some merit-making  at the temples. Those preserved food that are cooked the other day are being offered. Other than preserved and cooked foods, offered items at the temples are fresh fruits, monks’ robes and other offerings. People from home on the other hand, do the final cleaning of Buddha imaged with the use of a scented water.
April 15, the fourth and final day of the festival is also called as the Wan Parg-bpee. Homage is made during this day wherein locals paid to ancestors, elders, and other person that deserves the respect because of their age of position. This is also called as the ‘Rohd Nam Songkran’, which means “The Pouring of Songkran Water”. While sprinkling water to the elderly, wishes of good luck are also uttered.
People in Chiang Mai during this day are celebrating the final day of celebration and are throwing water with each other. Residents of Chiang Mai on this day are dedicated to have some fun.
Having able to join with the Thailand local residents in celebrating the Songkran Festival will surely be a memorable experience for you. Songkran is one of the festivals in Thailand that you should not miss because of its abundant religious and fun activities, and it only happens in Thailand. Other places might have their own festivals as well but will be very different from Songkran. If you want to experience the Songkran Festival, plan ahead, reserve your accommodations and festival tour early so that when the day of the festival comes, you won’t be having any problems with hotel reservations and festival tour packages, because for sure, many of the tourists will be coming to Thailand to witness the Songkran Festival.