The popular tourist destination recorded an Air Quality Index of 168 which is considered ‘unhealthy’ while the level of PM2.5 pollutants – cancer-causing microparticles small enough to enter the blood

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 forced nearly 200 schools in Bangkok to close on Thursday, local authorities said, as officials urged people to work from home and restricted heavy vehicles in the city.