Severe Air Pollution Shuts Down Hundreds of Schools in Bangkok

Bangkok faces hazardous air quality, prompting school closures, work-from-home measures, and restrictions on heavy vehicles.

Bangkok ranked as the seventh or eighth most polluted major city globally, with PM2.5 levels exceeding WHO safety guidelines by over 20 times.
More than 350 schools in the Thai capital were closed this week due to hazardous air quality, impacting thousands of students.
Authorities attributed the pollution to seasonal crop burning, vehicle emissions, and stagnant winter air, with six-wheel trucks restricted in parts of the city.
Thai Prime Minister and local officials encouraged work-from-home initiatives and called for stricter measures, including construction limits and dust control.
Neighboring cities in Southeast Asia, including Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh, also ranked among the world's most polluted, highlighting a regional crisis.