<p>On 25 December, the Criminal Court sentenced a student who threw paint at two portraits of King Vajiralongkorn to a 2,500 baht fine, 5,740 baht compensation, and 1 month in jail suspended for 1 year, says Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR).</p>

<p dir="ltr">Despite talk from the junta about land reform in the form of a progressive land tax to tackle disparity and increase public revenue, research ironically shows that the Thai military is one of the country’s biggest landowners.</p> <p></p>

<p dir="ltr">The Treasury Department has announced that it may ask Thailand’s junta leader to use his absolute power to amend laws that prevent investors from renting out lands in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) to other businesses.</p> <p>Chakkrit Parapuntakul, Director General of the Treasury Department, told media that the department recently received a letter from the Industrial Estate Authorities of Thailand (IEAT) about laws that obstruct investors from developing industrial estates in SEZs and from renting them out to other businesses.</p>