Currently, there are four autonomous higher-educational institutes: Walailak University, Suranaree University of Technology, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi and Mae Fah Luang University. "Of them, some have already raised tuition fees by 107 per cent," SFT board member Nitiwat Wannasiri said.

The plan to turn state universities into autonomous institutes also left students having to endure inconvenient class schedules, Nitiwat said.

"Some students now have to attend classes seven days a week because the classes are provided based on university lecturers' convenience. When the university lecturers are not civil servants, they take up teaching jobs at various institutes, leaving not much choice for the students," he said.

Nitiwat and SFT members staged a march yesterday from the Education Ministry to Government House, where they submitted their "demands" to Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont.

The students group called on the PM to kill plans to turn state universities into autonomous institutes - and make the four autonomous institutes state universities again.

Other demands included that the incumbent administration should return power to the people as soon as possible. Surayud was installed as prime minister after a coup removed Thaksin Shinawatra from power in September.

"We also call on the media to report news without fear," Nitiwat said. He said plans to turn state universities into autonomous institutes served to reduce state funding for these institutions.

"If this plan continues, students will have to shoulder higher tuition fees and this means students from poor families will not be able to further their education at universities."

He said the SFT has opposed plans for autonomous higher-educational institutes since 1998. However, all governments still pushed ahead with the plan. The incumbent administration was also seen as trying to expedite the plan.

Meanwhile, a group of students at Chulalongkorn University (CU) called yesterday for people opposed to plans to turn state universities into autonomous institutes to stand together at CU Faculty of Political Science tomorrow.

Education Minister Wijit Srisaan yesterday said it was impossible to stop the stop the plan because six state universities had become autonomous. However, the government had promised that only universities that wanted to would become autonomous.