<p>Activist Ekachai Hongkangwan has been given bail after being sentenced to one year in jail under the Computer Crimes Act over his online posts about his sexual experiences while in prison.</p>

<p>Individuals accused of insulting the monarchy are paying astronomical sums of money &ndash; sometimes in the millions of baht &ndash; to secure their freedom while their cases are ongoing, a practice that one law scholar said could amount to violating the constitutional right to a fair trial.</p>

<p>Following a Thomson Reuter exclusive report alleging the use of forced labour in a number of Thai prisons, Khon Kaen Fishing Net Ltd (KKF), a company that supports prisoner vocational rehabilitation programs, announced that they will terminate their contracts with any prisons involved in the abuse.</p>

<p>The Department of Corrections has admitted an infection toll in prisons nationwide of 11,670. The Courts have announced new procedures to reduce the prison population.</p>

<div>Freed anti-junta activists from the Dao Din group talk to Prachatai about their experience in jail and how they learned about the value of freedom.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> </div>

<div> <div><em>Translated by Tyrell Haberkorn.</em></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> </div> <div><em>Translator’s introduction: On 23 November 2011, Amphon Tangnoppakul, age 61, was <a href="http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.prachatai.com%2Fenglish%2Fnode%2F2912&amp;sa=D&amp;sntz=1&amp;usg=AFQjCNFzG00N9fVcpkZ7Z2hG8xiG7agMpA">sentenced</a> to twenty years in prison under Article 112 and the 2007 Computer Crimes Act for allegedly sending four SMS messages with anti-monarchy content. </em></div>

<p>Should travelers find themselves on the wrong side of Thai law in a single &quot;lapse in judgment&quot;, it could be all it takes &quot;to lose all your civil liberties&quot;.</p>