More than 700 people have signed a petition condemning the removal by Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Economics of a memorial dedicated to Somdej Wirunhaphol, a student activist killed in a 1973 student uprising.
A large picture of the student and name plate was recently removed from the faculty's students club room.
The move prompted Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal, a Chulalongkorn University student to launch a campaign on change.org opposing the removal.
Mr Netiwit said the memorial, which had been at the faculty for over 40 years, served as a reminder to students of the sacrifices their senior predecessors made for the nation and democracy.
Removing the image, intentionally or not, tarnished the history of the faculty and university, he said.
In a Facebook post, the faculty's dean, Assoc Prof Sittidaj Pongkijvorasin, said the removal was to pave the way for a more appropriate memorial to the student activist.
He also claimed he had received complaints about the students' club memorial, as well as suggestions on how the activist could be immortalised in other ways. After discussing the matter with faculty staff, students as well as Somdej's family, the dean said they agreed to arrange activities to remember Somdej, such as an annual seminar and a special award.
Somdej, an 18-year-old freshman in Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Economics was killed by soldiers on Oct 14, 1973, while protesting against the government of Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn.