the junta for endangering the Thai economy. He could face seven to twenty years in jail, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Crackdown on foreign correspondents In early 2016, the Prayut government embarked on a campaign to redefine the M-class visa requirements for foreign journalists. The changes are described as "technical", but the Thai foreign minister admits that the real agenda is to make it more difficult for foreign journalists to live and work in Thailand. Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai told foreign and local journalists that the campaign will cut down on negative reporting. According to him, around 10 percent of the roughly 500 foreign journalists in Thailand will be affected. The aim is to regulate the foreign press and get what he calls "unreal" journalists out of Thailand. They will be denied visas to live and work in Thailand. New visa rules have come into effect. Rule number one states the applicant "must be employed by a news agency...." Rule number two is that the journalist must be a salaried, full-time employee of that agency. Freelancers or new media journalists need not apply. Lastly, The ministry intends to examine the history of journalist visa applicants to see if they have ever committed "possible disruption to the public order" of Thailand. A criminal record report from the applicant's home country, and copies of all work going back one year must be included with the visa application. The new rules have been strongly opposed by the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand (FCCT). See also Censorship in Thailand Cinema of Thailand Communications in Thailand Politics of Thailand References Further reading Thailand Thailand