Thai authorities flew drones spraying water from the sky to fight the country's worsening pollution crisis today (January 31).

The capital city Bangkok has been blanketed by a toxic cloud of smog for the last fortnight sparking mass sickness, coughing fits and breathing problems.

Officials closed 439 state schools with many more private institutions following suit - warning hundreds of thousands of teachers and pupils to stay inside.

Workers today stepped up their battle against the poor air quality - now among the worst in the world behind only Pakistan and India - by flying industrial DJI drones at several locations throughout the city.

The machines sprayed a fine mist of water which it is believed will moisten the air and help to disperse the small particles hanging in the atmosphere, which would normally be blown away by wind and rain.

Somnuck Jongmeewasin, a lecturer on environment at the Thai Silpakorn University, said: ''PM2.5 is hazardous to human health. It causes acute and chronic effects to the respiratory and cardiovascular systems in the short and in the long run.''

Today the pollution level reached more than 150 micrograms of PM2.5 particles per cubic metre of air - nearly three times the safe limit of 50 - in many places around the capital.

The PM2.5 dust particles are extremely small and they are fine enough to be absorbed in the human bloodstream through the lungs. This will cause chronic diseases such as asthma, cancer, heart disease and stroke in the long term if there is exposure to air pollution.

Thai authorities flew drones spraying water from the sky to fight the country's worsening pollution crisis today (January 31).

The capital city Bangkok has been blanketed by a toxic cloud of smog for the last fortnight sparking mass sickness, coughing fits and breathing problems.

Officials yesterday (Wed) closed 439 state schools with many more private institutions following suit - warning hundreds of thousands of teachers and pupils to stay inside.

Workers today stepped up their battle against the poor air quality - now among the worst in the world behind only Pakistan and India - by flying industrial DJI drones at several locations throughout the city.

The machines sprayed a fine mist of water which it is believed will moisten the air and help to disperse the small particles hanging in the atmosphere, which would normally been blown away by wind and rain.

Somnuck Jongmeewasin, a lecturer on environment at the Thai Silpakorn University, said: ''PM2.5 is hazardous to human health. It causes acute and chronic effects to the respiratory and cardiovascular systems in the short and in the long run.''

Today the pollution level reached more than 150 micrograms of PM2.5 particles per cubic metre of air - nearly three times the safe limit of 50 - in many places around the capital.

The PM2.5 dust particles are extremely small and they are fine enough to be absorbed in the human bloodstream through the lungs. This will cause chronic diseases such as asthma, cancer, heart disease and stroke in the long term if there is exposure to air pollution.