Air pollution in Bangkok caused more than 350 schools to close on Friday, the most since 2020. Runner-up Editorial Manager ofrangency By IQAir air quality monitoring service, the city was rated the seventh dirtiest big metropolis in the world.
Far surpassing the World Health Organization’s advised exposure limit of 15 micrograms, PM2.5 pollutant levels—tiny enough to penetrate the bloodstream—reached 108 micrograms per cubic meter. Seasonal elements including cold air, crop stubble burning, and car emissions contribute to this high level of pollution.
Because of the pollution, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration said 352 schools would close in 31 districts. With penalties for offenders, Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has prohibited stubble burning. Attending the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra urged harsher action to tackle pollution including working with surrounding nations and restricting building.
Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh ranked second and fifth, respectively, among the top ten most contaminated cities in the world, together with Vietnam and Cambodia. Still, Khvay Atitya, Cambodia’s Ministry of Environment spokesman, said that according to regional criteria air quality was within safe levels in the country.
