ballpoint

He's certainly aptly named in the view of the dinosaurs, and their current pets. A right Pita for them. As others have said, I don't think they'll bother trying to disguise their steps to remove him and his party from the equation. (In fact, if they've learned from the previous dissolution of the party and its former leader, only to see it come back stronger in its current incarnation, they will do all they can to dissolve it and prevent its rising again). Nothing was done domestically when they stole the last election, and nothing will be done internationally when they steal the next (and next, and next...). The West will outwardly grumble, but keep on dealing with whoever is in charge. Any real punishment or sanctions will drive Thailand further into the China camp, and the West will happily do business with any unelected despot, as long as he's on their side. Unless there is huge widespread local protest at any attempt to dissolve them, with the army rank and file on their side, then nothing will change - though, that's easy for me to say, because I won't be the one to go to Bangkok and protest armed opposition. The patron-politics of Thailand, whereby one family more or less runs a province and pays for political support, and its own protestors to maintain that, is another large obstacle in the path of democracy here, into which MFP appeared to be making inroads. Things were never going to be easy with both the Bangkok and the rural elite against them - well demonstrated by the current army-Thaksin alliance. It remains to be seen just how far Pita, and other party leaders, are prepared to go should they be removed and banned. Will they come out with their hands on their heads, or on the trigger of a gun (so to speak)?

The SIM in my phone has been registered in my wife's name ever since SIM cards became a thing around 30 years ago and we went from our old SIMless brick phone at the time to the new tech. Sure, the card itself has changed size and shape over the years, but the registration name stayed the same. Looks like we'll finally be changing it - if I get this notification.

And this is the state that has decided at least one presidential election...

Polce toay have sa they are nvestgatng a strng of ID thefts.