The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has announced the closure of 352 schools in 31 districts due to severe air pollution.
More than 250 schools had already closed their doors by Thursday, prompting officials to urge residents to work at home and limit heavy truck traffic in the city.
Air pollution is a seasonal problem in Thailand, exacerbated by colder, stagnant winter air combined with smoke from stubble burning and car exhausts. On Friday, levels of PM2.5 pollutants, cancer-causing microparticles small enough to enter the bloodstream through the lungs, reached 108 micrograms per cubic metre, according to IQAir.
This ranked Bangkok as the seventh most polluted city in the world. In response, city officials introduced free public transport for a week to reduce the traffic jams and exhaust fumes notorious in the Thai capital.
The World Health Organisation recommends that the average 24-hour exposure to PM2.5 should not exceed 15 micrograms per cubic metre on most days of the year. The current air pollution situation marks the highest number of school closures since 2020.
Benjawan Sukneh, a 61-year-old drinks seller who believes school closures could go some way to alleviating the problem, said:
“It’s hard to breathe… I feel a burning sensation in my throat.”
Government measures to combat pollution
Home Affairs Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered that stubble burning be banned and those responsible be prosecuted.
In another anti-pollution measure, Transport Minister Surya Juangroongruangkit announced that public transport, including Skytrain, underground, light rail system and buses, will be free for a week starting Saturday. He said:
“We hope this policy will help reduce pollution.”
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, attending the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, called for tougher measures to curb pollution, including restricting construction in the capital and seeking co-operation from neighbouring countries.
The air pollution problem extends beyond Thailand, with neighbouring cities in Vietnam and Cambodia also experiencing high levels of pollution. On Friday, Ho Chi Minh City ranked second and Phnom Penh fifth on IQAir’s list of the most polluted cities.
