Bangkok Air Pollution Forces Closure Of 352 Schools
Air pollution in Bangkok forced the closure of more than 350 schools on Friday, as the city was ranked the world’s seventh-most polluted major city by air quality monitor IQAir.
Seasonal air pollution, a recurring issue in Thailand and other countries in the region, worsened this week, leading to the most widespread school closures since 2020.
“Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has closed 352 schools across 31 districts due to air pollution,” the authority announced in a message shared on its official LINE group.
On Thursday, over 250 schools had already been closed due to pollution, with officials urging people to work from home and restricting heavy vehicles in the city.
By Friday, the level of PM2.5 pollutants—cancer-causing microparticles small enough to enter the bloodstream through the lungs—hit 108 micrograms per cubic meter, according to IQAir.
The World Health Organization recommends 24-hour average exposures should not be more than 15 for most days of the year.
Schools in areas with elevated PM2.5 levels were allowed to decide whether to close.
“Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has closed 352 schools across 31 districts due to air pollution,” the authority said.
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By Friday morning, 352 of the 437 schools under the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority had shut their doors, affecting thousands of students.
This figure is the highest since 2020, when all schools under the city authority closed over air pollution.
Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Thursday ordered a ban on stubble burning—intentionally burning leftover crops to clear fields—warning that “those responsible risk legal prosecution.”
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, speaking on Thursday from the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, called for tougher measures to tackle pollution.
These included “limiting construction in the capital and seeking cooperation from nearby countries.”
Meanwhile, neighboring Vietnam and Cambodia also ranked among IQAir’s top 10 most polluted major cities globally on Friday, with Ho Chi Minh City reaching second and Phnom Penh fifth.
Cambodia’s Environment Ministry spokesman Khvay Atitya commented, “Other countries have their own standards. Cambodia has our own standard to determine the air quality.”
He added, “The air quality in the country was within safe levels,” and said that authorities had not issued any emergency measures.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
