Thousands of red shirts will today converge on Bangkok's Ratchaprasong shopping district to mark the third anniversary of the group's bloody battle to topple Abhisit Vejjajiva's Democrat government.
BLOODY REMINDER: Rescue workers carry one of the six bodies found at Wat Pathum Wanaram.
While the event will provide an opportunity for a show of solidarity between the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) _ the movement's core group _ and the Pheu Thai government it helped to install, not everything in the red shirt camp is rosy.
One of the problems is that on a provincial level, UDD leaders are in constant competition with one another, an Ubon Ratchathani-based red shirt leader named Krit, who declined to give his last name, told Spectrum.
''The UDD leadership in the capital has been criticised for spending too much time lining its pockets rather than tackling the issues and grievances of the group's rank and file,'' he said.
''Still, this it not the time to squabble. As we mark the anniversary of the bloody protest, all red shirt groups should set aside their internal conflicts and demonstrate their solidarity with the government.''
According to Sombat Boonngamanong, president of the Mirror Foundation and leader of Red Sunday, a key group within the red shirt movement, today will also provide an opportunity to remember.
As well as commemorating those who perished in the 2010 conflict, this year's event at Ratchaprasong should once again provide a reminder of who was to blame for the loss of life, he said.
''Former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his deputy Suthep Thugsuban, as masterminds of the fatal crackdown, should never forget that they we will not rest until they are brought to justice.''
The UDD-led protest against the Abhisit administration ran from March 12 to May 19, 2010. It was brought to an end by a military crackdown that resulted in 92 people being killed and thousands more being injured.
The UDD was established in opposition to the military government that overthrew prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006. In the years since, its goal, as shared by the Pheu Thai Party, has been to return Thaksin from exile and reinstate him as head of government.
In 2010, Pheu Thai played a key role in coordinating and managing the red shirt rally.
According to statistics from the People's Information Centre, the military crackdown to end the nine-week-long protest involved 67,000 troops and cost three billion baht. More than 117,000 bullets were fired during the conflict.
About 25,000 police officers were also involved in the operation, at a cost of 700 million baht.
In the aftermath of the bloody crackdown, more than 1,850 red shirts were rounded up and tried. According to their supporters, the majority were subsequently jailed or falsely accused of various crimes.
After gaining power in 2011, the Pheu Thai government last year established a two billion baht compensation fund for the families of those killed or injured in the 2010 crackdown, while a similar amount was made available to those who were unfairly jailed.
Despite the establishment of the funds, many red shirts say they have yet to receive any compensation, while others have complained of cumbersome application procedures and lengthy delays.
In the meantime, UDD leaders at both the national and provincial levels have been accused of feathering their own nests by taking administrative positions or by joining the boards of state-controlled firms.
Critics say very little of the assistance promised by Thaksin Shinawatra, the de facto leader of Pheu Thai, has reached the pockets of the rank and file that helped it achieve power.
On the provincial level, there have been growing suggestions of a lack of unity among UDD networks and independent red shirt groups.
At an event held in Bangkok on April 10 to commemorate the 2010 protest, more than 400 buses scheduled to carry supporters from Udon Thani failed to arrive due to a dispute over funding.
Sources said Kwanchai Praipana, a key red shirt figure in Udon Thani, fell out with the transport company over who should pay for the buses.
Despite these disagreements, UDD leaders say the group must remain united if it is to protect the Pheu Thai Party and its leader, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
According to Mr Sombat, the UDD must remain vigilant.
''The threat of a coup never dies,'' he said.
''Last year, the yellow shirts held a protest at the Royal Turf Club and this year they gathered at Sanam Luang. These are all precursors to the next decisive move,'' he said.
Despite these concerns, Ubon-based Mr Krit said there is a strong sense of union among the red shirts this year.
''The UDD must remain united so it can tackle the problems with the judiciary, the last bastion of the former Democrat administration,'' he said.
The amnesty issue remains a key concern, and rather than squabble among themselves, red shirts should work together to right the injustice suffered by its members in recent years, he said.
A total of 37 cases relating to the 2010 crackdown have been sent to the criminal court for inquest. Of those, eight have been concluded, five of which were dismissed as having no links to the military.
On May 29, the Criminal Court will release its verdict into the death of Italian journalist Fabio Polenghi, while rulings might also be issued this year on some of the 15 cases already underway. Of the remainder, six inquests will begin in July, four are currently with the attorney-general and the rest are in their initial stages with the Metropolitan Police Department.
Along with its search for justice for the red shirts, the Pheu Thai Party still has much to do to maintain unity within its grass-roots support groups.
In the year ahead, it will seek charter amendments, pursue a change of guard at the Constitution Court, and strive for the removal of nominated senators.
Success will require a united front and a committed leadership. Perhaps it should come as no surprise then that Thaksin is scheduled to address the rally via Skype at 8.30pm today.