Bangkok: Sitting down and talking things out, or staggering class schedules, won't really solve the conflict between the two institutions. Academics believe that calling the two conflicting institutions for talks will only resolve the immediate dispute. They support the establishment of a special committee to specifically address the problem, saying it would be more appropriate.
According to Thai News Agency, Professor Pol. Gen. Pongsan Kongtreekaew, an independent scholar and former lecturer at the Police Academy, commented on the recent brawl between students from Rajamangala University of Technology Eastern Campus, Uthenthawai Campus, and Pathumwan Institute of Technology. He stated that calling the administrators of both institutions for discussions to resolve the issue is only a short-term solution. The root cause of the problem, accumulated over centuries, remains unresolved. Solving the problem requires addressing the past, where senior students have been perpetuating hatred and fostering violence among junior students.
Regarding staggered class schedules, it is believed that this will only be effective for 3-4 months because it is insufficient as a temporary solution. To achieve a truly effective solution, a team needs to be formed to analyze and develop solutions. For example, relocating the school outside the city would be effective but costly. However, if the team can work on changing the mindset of senior students to stop the transmission of hatred to junior students, the problem could be resolved without the need for institutional transfer.
Professor Pol. Maj. Gen. Pongsan said he supports the idea of inviting relevant experts to form a special committee to solve the problem, with the government allocating a budget and systematically and seriously addressing the issue. He believes that a clear solution will be found and the conflicts will be resolved.