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Since early this year, both the yellow and the red sides have been competing to rouse the crowds. Unfortunately both are failing to channel their efforts to achieving the greater good instead of exchanging plain and simple barbs.

Next month, the yellow-shirted People's Alliance for Democracy is scheduled to organise a rally in Phuket - its sixth in four months.

The PAD has been perfecting its technique to draw the crowds by incorporating live musical performances in its political rallies. These so-called political concerts took place in key provinces, with the last one being held last Saturday for Thai expats in Los Angeles. The PAD-led yellow shirts voluntarily called off street protests after the Democrat-led coalition grabbed power in December.

However, it did organise a series of "get-together" events, billed as an opportunity for the protesters to reminisce. But the frequency of these events, and what has been happening there, have underscored a bigger plan than what appears on the surface.

Despite publicly denying the ambition to transform the yellow-shirt movement into a new political party, PAD leaders have been holding behind-the-scenes talks to find ways to catapult themselves into mainstream politics. However, their issue at hand is not preparing to form a new party, but finding a clear goal that the party should aspire to achieve.

The PAD's idea of "new politics" has been floated around for months, though its meaning still remains vague. The leaders say they are aiming to reshape the political landscape, which is old news.

PAD co-leader Chamlong Srimuang tried to awaken the moral majority by forming the Palang Dharma Party, but later became disillusioned and passed the reins onto tycoon-turned-politician Thaksin Shinawatra. Ironically, the blessings he inadvertently gave the autocratic leader to enter politics became the genesis of the turmoil.

Since the creation of PAD's party is making no headway, the yellow-shirt rallies are turning every event into a Thaksin-bashing opportunity, further fuelling political animosity.

Plus, PAD co-leader Sondhi Limthongkul has been swaying between blaming Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thuagsuban for pressuring police to take action against PAD leaders; and driving a wedge between the Democrats and the Newin Chidchob faction.

Sondhi's true intentions remain unclear, though his views appear to have raised questions about whether he is trying to mobilise the yellow shirts as a shield for the PAD leaders to avoid having to account for the street protests.

His attempts to sow distrust within the coalition alliance and to claim credit for installing the Democrats in power are also putting a huge question mark on the yellow shirts. Does he think he is the political warlock that holds a curse over each government?

The yellow shirts are highly visible, which works to inflame the red shirts.

Meanwhile, organisers for the red-shirt rallies, like Veera Musigapong, Jatuporn Phrompan and Natthawut Saikua, seem to be using the same crowd-rousing technique as the PAD. And they seem to be good at copying.

They have managed to create an opposition movement, comprising villagers mostly from the Northeast and the North. The only problem is, they are working to serve and benefit Thaksin alone.

On Saturday and Sunday, Thaksin made four long-distance calls to the red shirts in Ayutthaya, Mukdahan, Bangkok and Chanthaburi. Like his previous phone-ins, the message was repetitive. He sees the red shirts as people who could help right the wrongs inflicted on him.

The big puzzle is, what exactly does Thaksin have in mind for the red shirts? He has denied seeking a royal pardon. He may have harboured hopes for amnesty granted via Parliament, but by reportedly engineering the upcoming censure debate, he has burned all his bridges with the Democrats.

The country is witnessing a strange political phenomenon - both the yellow and the red shirts are alive and kicking, but we wonder where they are headed?