More than 350 schools in Bangkok have been forced to close their doors due to the city’s worsening air pollution crisis, leaving hundreds of thousands of students without classes as the Thai government struggles to combat the hazardous conditions.
The Thai capital has been struggling with hazardous air quality since midweek prompting city authorities to permit school closures and advised people to work from home after the air quality index (AQI) hit 159.
An AQI reading above 100 is considered unhealthy, while a reading above 200 is rated very unhealthy.
The government also restricted six-wheel trucks from entering certain parts of the city, citing their excessively high carbon monoxide emissions as a major contributor to the pollution.
According to Bangkok Governor, Chadchart Sittipunt on Friday, the recent surge in pollution can be attributed to a combination of factors, including the seasonal burning of crops, exhaust emissions from vehicles, and the open burning of trash, which have all contributed to the deteriorating air quality in the city.
Earlier, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who is currently attending the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, called for tougher measures to tackle pollution including limiting construction in the capital and seeking cooperation from nearby countries.
While hundreds of schools remain closed, only about 100,000 of Bangkok’s more than 10 million residents have signed up for a voluntary work-from-home scheme.
Much of Bangkok’s pollution this week was caused by a high concentration of PM2.5, cancer-causing microparticles. The city’s PM2.5 levels hit 108 micrograms per cubic metre on Friday morning, 21.6 times the World Health Organization’s annual guideline.
Pollution levels are expected to subside over the weekend, reaching 71 by Monday, according to a forecast by IQAir.
