On her first venture to the Far East, painter and illustrator Marisa Attard was, in her own words "immediately struck by the beauty of the country and the special qualities of its people".

What impressed her most were the Thai people.

"Speaking to people and watching them go about their daily lives left me spellbound with their courteous manner and their seemingly inner serenity," Ms Attard said.

Ms Attard has put together a collection of paintings called Faces Of Thailand based on her experience in Phuket. The showcase is open at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Valletta from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Thursday. There are 30 paintings mostly in acrylic.

The island of Phuket is considered to be Asia's most popular holiday resort.

While on Phuket together with her husband Pierre - the couple spent three weeks in Thailand - Ms Attard met up with Kate and Stephen Cope at the Phuket International Blues Festival. The Copes have a foundation called Phuket Has Been Good To Us, which organises English language lessons for young people.

The foundation's aim is to help Thai youth become confident English speakers so that they can get a good job and stay close to their families on Phuket.

Going through the many photos she took, Ms Attard realised that what impressed her most were the people - their faces, posture and expressions. "It soon occurred to me that it would be a good idea to hold an exhibition and donate part of the proceeds to the Phuket Has Been Good To Us Foundation," she said.