The military coup in Thailand could delay a donation of millions of pounds in grants to fund scholarships and a lectureship at Oxford's centre for Buddhist Studies.

Thailand's deputy Prime Minister Suwat Liptapanlop visited Oxford only last month to see for himself how a pledged £5m investment would be used.

Those running the centre were waiting for final confirmation at the end of the month as to which elements of the package were to be approved.

But yesterday, centre director Geoffrey Bamford said of the coup: "We expect some delay in the implementation of the package that the Deputy Prime Minister announced.

"However, the Thai Oxford Partnership has and always will be a key element of the Oxford Centre and various other collaborative ventures are being planned for next year.

"Of course, the government has to define the precise budget and currently governmental decision-making is obviously on hold. Still, on a long view the present difficulties are almost certainly just a bump in the road. The one real problem is that we are up against a deadline. In order for the lecturer to be in place by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej's 80th birthday celebrations on December 5, 2007, we have to advertise immediately and we cannot do so until there is a firm commitment from the Thai side.

"There are similar constraints in respect of the other elements of the package."

The pledged money is due to be split between a £1.8m grant for a lectureship and another £1.8m for three scholarships and around £2m for building work.

Buddhist monk Khammai Dhammasami, who is a trustee at the centre, added: "It is a long-term commitment on the part of Thailand. I think the timeline may be affected, but the projects will still go ahead."

Dr Dhammasami said he was not worried about family and friends caught up in the trouble in his homeland.

He said: "Everything is very calm, we are not worried at all. I think British people are not used to it, but since 1933 there have been 18 coups in Thailand. I hope that in the next two weeks it will all be back to normal.

"There are 10 million people in Bangkok, but only 25 tanks and they are all centred at the shopping centre and at Government House."

His views were echoed by fellow Thai Dr Praphapham Wipatawit, who has just completed a DPhil in nuclear physics at Oxford University. Dr Wipatawit, of Woodstock Road, said: "The news from my family in Bangkok is that they are OK. I just rang my mum and she said everything was fine. I certainly don't think there will be chaos."

Co-op Travel in Botley said travellers booked to go to Thailand also seemed unconcerned about the coup. Lyn Bedding said: "We have quite a few people booked on flights to Thailand on the coming days, but no one has rung up to cancel or even inquire about the situation which is quite surprising really."