Government measures fall short, experts say, as air quality index (AQI) readings become more hazardous in Thai capital.

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

Back when the Honolulu rail system opened in the summer of 2023, you could ride it for free on the first weekend. If you're going to be in Thailand's capital this week, you can ride any form of public transit for free — but for a very different reason.

Economic damage from opportunity loss caused by air pollution, exceeding an average of 100µg/m³ on the Air Quality Index (AQI) in and around Bangkok over a one-month period, has been estimated at about THB3 billion (US$89.

Thailand has introduced free public transport in Bangkok for a week to tackle severe air pollution. Over 350 schools were closed due to hazardous PM2.

BANGKOK: Air pollution in the Thai capital forced the closure of more than 350 schools on Friday (Jan 24), city authorities said, the highest number in five years. Bangkok officials announced free public transport for a week in a bid to reduce traffic in a city notorious for noxious exhaust fumes.

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.

In a bid to tackle rising air pollution, Thailand has launched a week-long free public transport campaign in its capital city, Bangkok. The measure, which started on Saturday, is aimed at reducing the use of private vehicles—a major contributor to the city's worsening air quality.