After trying in vain to keep politics out of football, the National Council for Peace and Order on Friday gave up its attempts.
The colourful parade that precedes the nationally televised annual match between Thammasat and Chulalongkorn universities will be allowed to go ahead as usual, said Theppong Thipayachan, who commands the 1st Army Region.
As is their custom, the students will be allowed to create floats that make political commentary, but they must not incite division in the country, he added.
The football teams of the two universities will meet for the 71st time on Saturday, Feb 13 at Supachalasai Stadium. The two schools take turn hosting the match and this year the host will be Thammasat.
Far bigger than the match itelf, however, is the parade that precedes the kickoff. Huge effigies of public figures from the prime minister on down are the norm, and ridicule is the main idea. The students are never short of material.
During the match, colourful flash-card shows are staged in the stands to create huge images and pointed messages.
But the top military brass tend not to share the undergrads' spirit of fun. They made a futile attempt last year to stop the parade and this year they tried to put the brakes on political activities again.
Six soldiers showed up at a meeting of the event organisers at the Thammasat Rangsit campus in Pathum Thani on Wednesday and asked them to keep politics out of this year's procession and card stunts, Matichon Online reported, quoting a TU student who refused to be named.
They left the campus after the meeting which ended with the students standing their ground, it added.
However, the talks were amicable because the soldiers did not force them to ban political activities, said the student, who refused to reveal what spectators could expect next week.
Lt Gen Theppong on Friday insisted the NCPO was not trying to block political commentary but hoped the students would behave in line with the reform efforts carried out by the council and the government.
At the last match on Feb 7, 2015 security authorities went to the stadium and seized some banners with political messages shortly before students began to parade into Supachalasai. After a negotiation with the organisers, the authorities kept the banners but allowed the effigies to be used in the procession.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's 12 core values and his Bringing Happiness to All Thais weekly broadcast were targeted by the Thammasat students last year.