Nearly 200 Bangkok schools close over air pollution

Air pollution forced nearly 200 schools in Bangkok to close on Thursday, local authorities said, as officials urged people to work from home and restricted heavy vehicles in the city.

Seasonal air pollution has long afflicted Thailand, like many countries in the region, as colder, stagnant winter air combines with smoke from crop stubble burning and car fumes.

By Thursday morning, the Thai capital was the sixth most polluted major city in the world, according to IQAir. Earlier this week, Bangkok authorities said schools in areas with elevated levels of PM2.5 could choose to close. The figure is the highest since 2020, when all schools under Bangkok Metropolitan authority shut over air pollution.