Thailand: 350 schools closed due to air pollution

Last Updated on January 25, 2025 7:02 am

More than 350 schools in the Thai capital, Bangkok, have been closed as air pollution has exceeded normal levels. Public transport will also be free for a week. The free public transport includes the metro, skytrain and buses. On Thursday, more than 250 schools in the capital were closed and people were urged to work from home. Heavy vehicles were also restricted.

The level of the carcinogenic PM2.5 pollutant reached 108 micrograms/cubic meter as of Friday morning. However, according to WHO recommendations, this level should not exceed 15.

Bangkok is now ranked seventh in the world in terms of air pollution.

Seasonal air pollution is not a new problem in Thailand. However, this week, air pollution levels reached their highest levels in five years. A combination of cold winter weather, stubble burning and vehicle emissions often causes air pollution to spike in Southeast Asia at this time of year.

So Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul ordered a ban on straw burning on Thursday. The Thai prime minister, who is attending the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, also called for restrictions on construction in the capital.