Air pollution in the Thai capital forced more than 350 schools to close on Friday, city authorities said, the highest number in five years.Bangkok officials also announced free public transport for a week in a bid to reduce traffic in a city notorious for noxious exhaust fumes.

Air pollution has led to the closure of over 350 schools in Bangkok, as the city ranked seventh in the world for pollution. Levels of harmful PM2.5 pollutants were significantly above WHO guidelines.

BANGKOK: Air pollution forced nearly 200 schools in Bangkok to close on Thursday (Jan 23), local authorities said, as officials urged people to work from home and restricted heavy vehicles in the city.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration urged people to work from home for the rest of the week if they can, with air pollution forecast to worsen after already forcing the temporary closure of more than a dozen schools.

A mix of stagnant cold air, smoke from crop burning, and car fumes causes air quality to reach unhealthy levels.

Air pollution in the Thai capital has forced the closure of more than 350 schools, city authorities said, as Bangkok was ranked the world’s seventh-most polluted major city by air quality monitor IQAir.