Students and alumni of Uthenthawai campus of Rajamangala University of Technology Tawan-ok on Tuesday morning rallied in protest against the relocation of their long-established campus in Bangkok’s Pathum Wan district.
The demonstrators began their march from the campus on Phayathai Road at 9.39am. Their first stop was the Chulalongkorn University property management office. They then headed to the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation. The protesters occupied two traffic lanes on Phraya Thai Road. Traffic was building up in the area.
After submitting a letter against the relocation plan, the demonstrators divided into two groups. One marched to parliament to submit a letter to the parliament president and the other to Government House to petition Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.
At 10.25am representatives handed the letter to the prime minister to Nalinee Mahakhan, director of the public service centre of the PM's Office secretariat.
The other group boarded 25 songtaews to go to parliament. Once there, representatives submitted their protest letters to Parliament President Wan Muhamad Noor Matha and former parliament president Chuan Leekpai.
The campus, originally known as Uthenthawai Builders School has occupied 20-rai leased from Chulalongkorn University for 68 years. The lease expired in 2003.
In 1975, Chulalongkorn University started negotiating for the return of the land for planned expansion, but the campus has continued to occupy the land. Chulalongkorn University has petitioned the Administrative Court for a relocation order.
The Supreme Administrative Court issued an order on Dec 14 last year for the school to move the campus.
The minister for higher education recently instructed the campus to cease admitting new students and speed up its relocation - which is intended to contain the long-standing violence arising from inter-school rivalry. The order was later relaxed to allow the admission of new students, but they must study elsewhere until the campus is relocated.
The campus has been offered a new site in Samut Prakan's Bang Phli district, with government funding to assist with the move, but has not taken up the offer.