Located in the heart of Southeast Asia and with robust communications technology, the country is continuing to draw global investment.
Over the last two years, Thailand has emerged as a new strategic location for global data centre providers investing in infrastructure and service networks. Previously, Singapore was the primary target for establishing data centres and cloud services in Asia, making it home to the headquarters of many Western companies and the largest concentration of data centres in the region.
The demand for data centres in Thailand has been steadily increasing, driven by intensified digital transformation, growing data volumes, and government incentives to promote investment. As a result, data centres have become a rising industry, serving as essential digital infrastructure to support AI ecosystems.
Between 2024 and 2027, Thailand’s data centre investments are expected to exceed US$7.8 billion, accounting for 1.1% of the GDP, although still trailing behind Malaysia.
Data centres are viewed as the backbone of Thailand’s digital era. According to Kasikorn Research Centre, Thailand has become a key destination for data centre investments from both local and global players. Over the past three years, data centre capacity per capita in Thailand has grown by more than 54%, ranking the country third in ASEAN.
The Board of Investment (BOI) reported in July that 37 data centre and cloud service projects had been approved, with a total investment value of 98.5 billion baht. Most are located in Bangkok, Samut Prakan, Chonburi, and Rayong.
The major tech companies investing in Thailand’s data centres are:
Quartz Computing (Google/Alphabet Inc.), USA
Investment: 32.76 billion baht
Year: 2024
Location: Chonburi
This will be Google’s 5th data centre in Asia and is expected to launch in 2027.
Digitalland Services (GDS), China
Investment: 28 billion baht
Year: 2024
Location: Chonburi
Expected to open in 2026.
Equinix, USA
Investment: 16.5 billion baht
Year: 2024
Long-term investment (10 years) will make Thailand the digital hub for CLMVT (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand).
Amazon Web Services (AWS), USA
Investment: 200 billion baht by 2037 (25 billion baht already invested)
Plans for further investment in data centres in Thailand are ongoing.
NextDC, Australia
Investment: 13.7 billion baht
STT GDC, Singapore
Investment: 4.5 billion baht
Evolution Data Centre, Singapore
Investment: 4 billion baht
Supernap (Switch), USA
Investment: 3 billion baht
Telehouse, Japan
Investment: 2.7 billion baht
One Asia, Hong Kong
Investment: 2 billion baht
Microsoft, USA
Investment: Estimated at 100 billion baht (under BOI consideration).
Alibaba Cloud, China
Investment: 4 billion baht
Huawei Technologies, China
Investment: 3 billion baht
In recent years, these companies have announced investments and are actively undertaking projects to develop digital infrastructure in Thailand. Their efforts aim to enhance technological capabilities and support the growth of the country’s digital economy.
Additionally, domestic companies such as True Internet Data Centre, Internet Thailand, and GSA (a joint venture between Gulf, Singtel, and AIS) have also made significant investments in this sector.
There are several reasons why global corporations are choosing Thailand for data centre investment.
Strategic location: Thailand is situated in Southeast Asia, offering a central position for accessing major regional markets such as China, India and other ASEAN countries. This makes Thailand an efficient hub for providing data centre services to clients across the region.
Government support: The government actively promotes investment in digital technology and infrastructure by offering tax incentives and expedited approvals through BOI to attract foreign investors.
Rapidly growing digital market and economy: Thailand’s digital economy is consistently expanding, driven by increased internet and digital technology usage. This has created a growing demand for cloud services and data centres.
Emerging as the digital hub for CLMVT: Thailand aims to position itself as the digital hub for the CLMVT region, attracting global tech companies looking to expand their presence in this market.
Robust infrastructure: Thailand boasts strong telecommunications infrastructure and reliable internet connectivity, essential for supporting data centre operations. Additionally, the country offers a stable power supply and comparatively low energy costs, further enhancing its attractiveness.
Strategic Impact: Investing in data centres in Thailand not only boosts the country’s economic and digital potential but also enhances the ability of global tech firms to efficiently serve clients in Southeast Asia.
Source: The Nation