BMA requests work-from-home on Jan 12-13 to curb PM2.5 pollution
Work-from-home request covers January 12-13 as air quality is forecast to worsen during January 10-17, with stricter controls on burning, vehicle smoke checks and possible low-emission restrictions if conditions turn critical.
- The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has requested that government agencies and private companies allow employees to work from home on January 12-13, 2026.
- This work-from-home measure aims to reduce traffic and vehicle exhaust emissions to combat a PM2.5 pollution crisis.
- The request was prompted by a forecast of a high-risk period for pollution build-up from January 10-17, 2026, due to stagnant air.
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has urged government agencies, private firms and workplaces to allow staff to work from home (WFH) on January 12-13, 2026, to cope with a “PM2.5” pollution crisis, alongside stricter measures on multiple fronts.
The move follows forecasts that January 10-17, 2026, will be a high-risk period for pollution build-up due to stagnant air.
The main causes of PM2.5 in Bangkok include:
- Stagnant air is preventing dust from dispersing
- Biomass burning around Bangkok and in neighbouring countries
- Emissions from vehicles and factories
The BMA’s five-part response plan includes:
- Work from home (WFH) on January 12-13, 2026
- A strict ban on burning rubbish or grass
- Intensified black-smoke inspections, lowering the opacity threshold to 20%
- Coordinating with six upwind provinces to halt burning entirely
- Reporting burning incidents and smoke-belching vehicles via Traffy Fondue
- If pollution reaches red levels in more than five districts, a Low Emission Zone may be introduced to restrict trucks entering the city (except those on the Green List)
Updates on PM2.5 conditions and WFH announcements are available via the WFH BKK Line group, or by following the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Facebook page, the BMA Environment Department, or AIRBKK (Bangkok Air Quality Information Centre).
For more information, contact the Office of Sustainable Environment, BMA Environment Department, on 0 2203 2951.
