Legislation is advancing for a fresh agreement spearheaded by Thailand’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHSRI) to facilitate the shifting of Rajamangala University of Technology Tawan-ok’s (RMUTTO) Uthenthawai campus. Currently, the campus is situated on the land owned by Chulalongkorn University (CU).
The esteemed Supamas Isarabhakdi disclosed that representatives from both RMUTTO and CU have formed a committee to work out the details of the relocation. They’ve presented two potential solutions: first, CU can offer their land to the public, transforming the site into a vibrant park or a children’s museum.
Offering a further perspective, Supamas stated, “On the inclination that CU chooses not to utilize the land for revenue generation but to entertain it for public welfare like creating a park, museum, or an art space similar to what Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Art & Cultural Centre offers, [it could be an agreeable solution for RMUTTO].” She expressed optimism that RMUTTO would be amenable to this alternative arrangement.
Currenly, RMUTTO’s campus stands proudly spread across 20-rai that was leased from CU. The leasing agreement was worked out in 1935 and was valid for 68 years, with the contract coming to an end in the year 2003.
CU has been actively advocating for the land’s return since 1975 but has been met with continuous refusals. In 2002, a significant advancement was made when the Treasury Department offered a 36-rai plot in Samut Prakan’s Bang Phli district for RMUTTO to relocate. A hefty 200-million-baht budget was set aside for the construction of a new campus.
Late in 2005, an understanding was reached between RMUTTO and CU, with RMUTTO committing to evacuate the location by Sept 30th and relocate to the Bang Phli land in November. Nonetheless, the process was sluggish, encountering resistance from the student body.
In light of these challenges, the Office of the Attorney-General formed a dispute resolution committee in 2009. The committee mandated RMUTTO to surrender the CU land and to pay an annual penalty of 1 million baht until the full relocation process was executed. Given this ruling, RMUTTO took to the Supreme Administrative Court for an appeal, which afterwards ordered RMUTTO in December of last year to vacate the CU campus within just 60 days. But with the student body’s continuous opposition, RMUTTO has still not moved out.
Being empathetic with the students, Supamas explained that, “the students are merely seeking clarifications about the future circumstances. They want to understand what the new building will be like, where it will be, and who will be in charge during their education.” She also dashed the idea of setting a timeline for the negotiation, suggesting it would only escalate the tension.
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