Police are reviewing CCTV footage following an altercation yesterday morning on the platform of Siam BTS station, between students from two long-time rival colleges, during which two students were stabbed.
The assault took place in front of scores of police officers deployed at the station to prevent a confrontation on the first day the students returned to on-site classes following another fight about a week ago.
Police from Pathumwan station had been deployed at the station and along the skywalk as part of preventive measures against clashes between the rival groups.
The rivalry between students of Rajamangala University of Technology Tawan-ok’s Uthenthawai Campus and Pathumwan Institute of Technology, which are about a kilometre apart in Pathum Wan district, has persisted for decades.
In many cases, clashes have resulted in deaths and injuries.
The latest confrontation took place on the third floor of the crowded station at about 8.30am, when students from both institutions confronted each other on the platform.
Officers initially found about 30 Pathumwan students waiting to board a train to National Stadium station. Seven officers were positioned between the groups on the platform to prevent them from confronting each other.
About 30 Uthenthawai students subsequently got off a train, leading to a confrontation. The two groups ran towards each other and a melee ensued.
Police moved in to break up the fight.
Two Pathumwan students, aged 19 and 21, suffered stab wounds to their backs. Both were taken to hospital and were later reported to be in stable condition.
Pathumwan police chief Pol Col Sirichart Chanpromma said officers had been deployed at high-risk points on every floor of the station and along the skywalk before the incident.
However, some students ignored police orders to disperse, while the attackers managed to evade officers and use knives against their rivals.
In an effort to prevent further confrontations, the two colleges had previously agreed to stagger their students’ commuting and class times so that students from the rival institutions would be less likely to encounter each other.
Yesterday, however, students from the two institutions travelled to the station at around the same time, prompting police to investigate whether they had arranged to meet through social media to fight.
Teachers of the injured students have filed a complaint with Pathumwan police, while investigators are collecting evidence, reviewing CCTV footage and questioning witnesses to identify those responsible.
Pol Col Sirichart said discussions with the two institutions revealed that they had requested changes to their students’ commuting schedules for this academic year, but the two sides had yet to reach an agreement on a clear timetable.
He added that if authorities assess the risk of further clashes to be high, the students may have to return to online classes.
Senior Metropolitan Police officers have also instructed Pathumwan police to compile information on all incidents involving the two institutions for discussion with the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, with the aim of finding a long-term solution.
Police stressed that resolving the decades-old rivalry will require cooperation from all parties and cannot be left solely to law enforcement agencies.
Police have previously stepped up weapons searches, resulting in a significant decline in the use of firearms. Nonetheless, officers seize an average of 10 knives a month from students of the two institutions, with each seizure reported to the respective institution.
Both institutions have strict disciplinary measures for students found carrying weapons. Those caught carrying firearms, in particular, face expulsion.
