Uthenthawai ordered to stop taking in new students, speed up relocation

Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Minister Supamas Isarabhakdi said on Tuesday that she issued the order because clashes between Uthenthawai and Pathumwan Institute of Technology (PIT) students were becoming too frequent.

On Friday, two PIT students were reportedly attacked by former Uthenthawai students, and one of them succumbed to his injuries. This prompted Uthenthawai to close its Faculty of Engineering and Architecture from Sunday to Tuesday.

Supamas said she has ordered the university to stop enrolling new students for the 2024 academic year, so the number of students is more manageable, and it is easier for the campus to relocate.

She said that though the relocation will take a couple of years, at least the institutional feud can be ended once and for all.

The minister has also instructed the Uthenthawai campus to comply with the Supreme Administrative Court’s ruling to shift from its current location, which is on the property of Chulalongkorn University.

In December 2022, the court ruled that Uthenthawai should move out of the campus within 60 days. However, the university stayed put and students pleaded with Supamas in October last year to be allowed to stay.

In October, Supamas called on the students to not be involved in the ongoing property dispute between Chulalongkorn and Uthenthawai.

However, the minister began leaning more towards Chulalongkorn after the latest fatal attack.

She said on Tuesday that the campus should be shifted to cut down the chances of its students engaging in street fights with PIT rivals again. She said she has spoken with Uthenthawai alumni, and they have agreed to comply with the court’s order to relocate but asked for more time.

However, Supamas shot back, saying the campus barely has 1,000 students, so shifting should not be difficult.

She added that police have also been instructed to be on alert for Uthenthawai’s anniversary on Thursday.

The campus is on 20 rai of land leased from Chulalongkorn in 1935 for 68 years. The lease expired in 2003 and Chulalongkorn has been pushing unsuccessfully for the return of the land since 1975.

In 2002, the Treasury Department offered Uthenthawai the use of 36 rai of land in Samut Prakan’s Bang Phli district, while the government allocated 200 million baht to fund the construction of buildings.

Though Uthenthawai agreed to move to the Bang Phli site in 2005, the move was stalled by protesting students.