As any of you know who follow the news about Thailand, there has been a long running feud between the “yellow shirts” and the “red shirts” here–the “yellow shirts” backing the traditional elites, and the “red shirts” backing the former prime minister Thaksin (who was deposed in a coup, fled the country and was convicted of corruption).

The best background is (as is often the case) at The Economist, “No green light.”

TRAFFIC lights go from red to yellow. Thai politics goes the other way. Last year it was the “yellow shirts” of the royalist People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) who stormed the prime minister’s compound, bringing the country to its knees and forcing the government out. Now, after a few months’ calm, tens of thousands of redshirted protesters are surrounding the compound, demanding the resignation of the prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, and holding up portraits of Thaksin Shinawatra, the twice-elected prime minister deposed by the army in 2006.

As of today (Sunday, April 12) there has been a state of emergency declared in Bangkok, with various reports of protests at different intersections, etc.  This week is the start of the Thai New Year, Songkran, and our spring break.  Only one student is in Bangkok (I just spoke with her) and is headed down to the beaches with her aunt.  The rest are in Chiang Mai, where the rest of Thailand goes to celebrate Songkran.

Let’s hope that the Songkran holidays, a time of renewal and forgiveness, will help both sides to back down and back off.

(If you want to follow the news and commentary yourself, two of the best sites for up-to-the-minute news are The Bangkok Post and The Nation.)