Chulalongkorn University's doctorate candidate Kengkit Kitiriangrarp called on like-minded students and people to show up at these stages to make their voice heard.

While the autonomous status will give universities a freer hand in handling their administration, a large number of students were concerned that the universities would receive less money from the government and turn to charge higher tuition fees.

Khon Kaen University's third-year student Anantachai Bodhikham Thursday said a large number of students were against the institute's plan to become autonomous out of concerns that the move would lead to rising tuition fees and loss of educational opportunities among youths from poor families.

"The university executives have ignored what students are thinking. They have never come to talk to us," Anantachai said.

He vowed to stage a bigger protest if the university executives and relevant authorities continued to play deaf ears to their pleas.

Justice Ministry's permanent secretary Charan Pakdithanakul, who chairs a committee assigned to listen to the opinions of people in Chulalorngkorm University's community, insisted that the autonomous status would deliver many benefits.

"On the concerns about possibly less state subsidies, the university can introduce special courses (that charge high tuition fees) and should be able to keep the tuition fees for normal courses at the current level," Charan said.

Chiang Mai University's president Pongsak Angkasith said his university was going to receive about Bt3billion in subsidy from the government a year after it became autonomous and thus students should not be worried about the tuition fees.

He also expressed confidence that the Chiang Mai University could become more competitive with the autonomous status, because bureaucratic system had restricted the university's development abilities.

The Nation