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.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration urged people to work from home for the rest of the week if they can, with air pollution forecast to worsen after already forcing the temporary closure of more than a dozen schools.

The Ministry of Public Health in Thailand is urging people across the country to work from home after air pollution levels exceeded safe levels in almost every province on Tuesday, Jan. 21.

Soaring air pollution and a worsening public health crisis today forced the closure of hundreds of schools in Thailand. Footage shows the deserted classrooms at a state-run facility in the Lat Phrao area of the capital Bangkok,

Nearly 200 schools in Bangkok had to close on Thursday due to air pollution, according to local officials. Officials also encouraged people to work from home and banned large vehicles from the city.

A total of 103 public schools under the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) have cancelled classes for periods ranging from one to five days, depending on their locations, as the capital grapples with worsening PM2.5 air pollution. Some schools began cancelling classes on Monday, while many others are set to close starting Thursday.

Footage shows the deadly air pollution that was choking Bangkok amid a rise in agricultural burning across Southeast Asia. Thick haze engulfed Thailand's capital, sending levels of harmful cancer-causing PM2.