The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has updated its work-from-home (WFH) guidelines to enhance its response to the expected PM2.5 pollution crisis in early 2026, lowering the threshold for emergency activation.
Pornprom Vikitsreth, an adviser to the Bangkok governor and chief sustainability officer, explained that under the new 2026 plan, both public and private organizations will be advised to implement WFH measures immediately when PM2.5 levels reach the “orange” category—ranging from 37.6 to 75.0 µg/m³—across at least 35 districts, which accounts for about 70% of the city.
Additional triggers include poor ventilation rates (below 2,000 square meters per second) and the presence of over 80 fire hotspots for three days in a row. Furthermore, agencies are encouraged to adopt a regular WFH schedule of at least one day per week from January to March 2026.
Data on WFH participation, including employee numbers, travel distances, and transportation modes, will be collected and submitted to the Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organisation to measure CO₂ reductions resulting from decreased fuel consumption.
Pornprom also noted that in 2025, 278 agencies with 96,307 employees participated in the BMA’s WFH network. The city aims to expand this number to 300,000 participants in 2026.
Residents and organizations can stay updated on air quality and WFH alerts through the “WFH BKK” Line group, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration or Environment Department Facebook pages, or the Air BKK platform.
Further details are available from the Environment Department at BMA, tel. 0 2203 2951.