Two Bangkok colleges have suspended classes following a brawl between their students near the MBK shopping mall that caused panic among shoppers.

The incident took place on Monday around 5.50pm on the skywalk between the National Stadium BTS station and the Bangkok Art & Culture Centre (BACC). Two groups of brawling students, each numbering between 30 and 40, sent people in the area running for safety. Police rushed to control the situation. One person was injured in the incident.

The minister of Higher Education Science, Research and Innovation ordered officials to investigate and hold talks with the two schools about measures to prevent a recurrence of the incident.

After the meeting, the Uthen Thawai campus of Rajamangala University of Technology Tawan-ok suspended classes and exams for all classes from Jan 9 to 11.

The Pathumwan Institute of Technology said it was banning students from all programmes and classes from entering the campus from Jan 9 to Feb 4. The offenders will face punishment.

Lecturers will provide online classes for students during the period.

Rival gangs from the same two schools have clashed before, with one recent incident in Klong Toey resulting in the death of an innocent bystander.

A Pathumwan Institute of Technology student was arrested in connection with the shooting, which was intended to hit a rival student. He said it was part of an initiation rite.