Thailand approves national committee for data centre oversight

The Cabinet has approved the establishment of a national committee to oversee Thailand’s data centre industry following strong interest from foreign investors.

Government spokesperson Ratchada Dhanadirek announced the decision today, August 5, saying the committee would be established under a draft Prime Minister’s Office regulation proposed by Deputy Prime Minister Pakorn Nilprapunt.

According to the government, the move is intended to support Thailand’s digital economy strategy by creating clearer policies for the rapidly growing data centre sector, which has attracted significant interest from foreign investors.

The committee will be chaired by a deputy prime minister appointed by the prime minister. The ministers of Digital Economy and Society, Interior, and Energy will serve as vice chairs, alongside 12 senior government officials and up to three experts appointed by the prime minister.

Its responsibilities include proposing national policies, standards and operational guidelines for government agencies responsible for approving, licensing and providing services to data centre operators in Thailand.

The committee will also study and monitor the industry’s impact before making recommendations to the Cabinet.

Areas of focus include the use of clean energy, energy security, fair energy pricing, water resource management, energy and water efficiency, urban planning, fire safety, national data security, environmental and community impacts, and Thailand’s carbon neutrality goals.

Ratchada said the committee is intended to improve coordination across government agencies, provide greater policy clarity for the digital economy and ensure the expansion of data centres does not adversely affect the country’s energy security or the allocation of water resources.

In a separate development, Google is constructing a cloud data centre in Chon Buri as part of its continued investment in Thailand. The facility is currently under construction and is expected to become operational within about two years.

The company also reaffirmed its support for Thailand through partnerships with government agencies, including digital skills training for the Ministry of Education and upskilling programmes for small and medium-sized enterprises.