Bangkok air pollution forces 352 schools to close

Air pollution in the Thai capital forced the closure of more than 350 schools on Friday, 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. Seasonal air pollution has long afflicted Thailand, like many countries in the region, but this week’s hazy conditions have shuttered the most schools since 2020.