Tech students protest Chula plan to move their campus

Thousands of students and alumni of Rajamangala University of Technology Tawan-ok's Uthenthawai campus staged a march Friday to protest against Chulalongkorn University's plan to evict Uthenthawai students.

The students and alumni gathered at the Uthenthawai campus in the morning and marched along Phayathai Road to the Chulalongkorn Property Office to submit a letter of protest.

The demonstrators then marched in front of the Jamruee Square Building 2, where they staged a satirical play against Chulalongkorn University.

Chulalongkorn University has announced that it needs to use the Uthenthawai campus to expand facilities for its students, and has prepared a plot in Samut Prakan for the Uthenthawai students.

But Assoc Prof Suebpong Muangchu, vice rector of Uthenthawai, said Friday that Chulalongkorn has over 100 rai of land, and Uthenthawai wants to lease only 21 rai to continue to teach its students.

The demonstrators wore blue scarves with the words "Opposing the plan to evict Thailand's first construction technicians from Thung Phayathai. We have been here since 1932". Most of the demonstrators also wore t-shirts with the phrase "Demanding the return of royally-granted land of Uthenthawai".

During the gathering of students inside the campus, police set up a checkpoint at its gate to search them. Some were found to be carrying knives, which were seized by police.