BANGKOK, Feb. 15 – Thailand’s Pollution Control Department (PCD) reported unsafe levels of air pollution in all parts of Bangkok on Wednesday, prompting calls for remote work to combat excessive dust particles.
Private sector and state agencies are urged to consider allowing their staff to work from home until the weekend as PM 2.5 pollution in the Thai capital and its surrounding areas is projected to worsen in the next two days due to air stagnation and increased fire hotspots, the PCD said in a statement.
Unhealthy to very unhealthy levels of PM 2.5 pollutants, ranging from 58-105 micrograms per cubic meter, were detected in the Bangkok metropolitan region on Wednesday, according to the PCD.
Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) also reached out to its agencies and corporate partners to allow their employees to work remotely on Thursday and Friday.
Schools under the BMA will continue to operate as usual, with precautions including the distribution of protective masks and the cancellation of outdoor activities if needed, Chadchart said in a separate statement.
