"Tae Mongkolkit" led the New Alternative Party team to Mae Fah Luang University, surprising students with radical policies such as "15,000 Baht tuition, free milk, and 24-hour pubs and bars selling alcohol." The university issued an urgent statement, pointing out there was no prior coordination and emphasizing its policy of maintaining a politics-free zone.
On 27 Jan 2026 GMT+7, Mr. Mongkolkit Suksintharanon, Secretary-General of the New Alternative Party and the party's prime ministerial candidate, along with his team, visited Mae Fah Luang University (MFU) in Chiang Rai province to meet students and present party policies. The focus was on addressing cost-of-living issues and youth lifestyle concerns, including capping tuition fees at no more than 15,000 Baht per semester and a health promotion program offering students free milk until graduation.
Additionally, Mr. Mongkolkit drew attention with an entertainment-related policy proposing that pubs and bars be allowed to operate and sell alcohol 24 hours a day to stimulate the economy and tourism. This included prominent policies previously announced during other campaign events, such as pushing for "legalized casinos" and the regulation of "underground lottery to be legalized" to generate revenue for public welfare, which attracted great interest from a large crowd of students surrounding him.
Meanwhile, Mae Fah Luang University promptly issued a statement clarifying that the New Alternative Party's visit had not been coordinated or authorized through the usual procedures to use the university's premises. The university normally maintains a policy of political neutrality and reserves its space exclusively for academic activities.
The statement noted that representatives from two well-known political parties had previously contacted the university, and the student council advised them to hold events in the public market area in front of the university instead, as it was more appropriate and allowed wider public access. All parties cooperated well with this arrangement.
"The university requests cooperation from all parties to respect the rules regarding the use of space. Any activities require prior permission to ensure safety and equitable management of the premises," a university representative said.
This incident sparked criticism on social media, both about Mr. Mongkolkit’s bold policy proposals and questions regarding the appropriate use of educational institution spaces for election campaigning.