Thai authorities have made travel by public transport in Bangkok free for a week, the latest tactic to try to tackle soaring levels of air pollution that have already seen hundreds of schools closed and employees working from home.

Flying through Bangkok's cloudless blue skies, a small aircraft sprays a white mist over a thick haze of pea soup smog below.

Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has ordered free public transport in Bangkok for one week, starting on Feb. 25, in a move to deal with the alarming air pollution in the capital city.

Bangkok is offering free public transport for a week to combat rising air pollution levels, which have led to school closures and remote work. The initiative aims to reduce car usage, one significant pollution contributor.

Thai authorities on Friday closed over 350 schools in the capital Bangkok due to air pollution, according to local media. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has ordered the closure of all of its 352 schools and holding online classes due to the city’s poor air quality, the media outlet Khaosod English reported.

BANGKOK - A total of 103 public schools under the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) have cancelled classes for periods ranging from one to five days, depending on their locations, as the capital grapples with worsening PM2.5 air pollution. Some schools began cancelling classes on Jan 20, while many others are set to close starting Jan 23.

Seasonal air pollution has long afflicted Thailand, like many countries in the region, as colder, stagnant winter air combines with smoke from crop stubble burning and car fumes.

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