However, he said the university was willing to clear up any misunderstanding with its students and lecturers over the changes.

Werasak Udomkijdecha said the university had conducted the process in a transparent manner since it was conceived in 1991, and that a common approval of students and officials was achieved during a series of local referendums.

According to a statement by political science students and lecturers read out at a press conference, the plan to turn state universities into autonomous institutes would cause tuition fees to rise sharply and result in officials' welfare conditions and career security being affected.

Werasak also said the unavoidable increase in tuition fees had nothing to do with the changes. "Whether the tuition fees are increased or not, the university has scholarships to support students, so I can assure you that everyone has an equal chance to attend CU," ha said.

Meanwhile, Chulalongkorn University students who oppose the change have continued their efforts to seek signatures. Around 400 members of the university signed up when the campaign began yesterday.

Education Minister Wijit Srisa-an said the government was not forcing all universities to turn into autonomous agencies. If they thought that being autonomous would benefit their students and were willing to change, the government would support the idea.