Thailand data centres face tighter AI rules

Thailand said Friday it would introduce clearer rules for AI data centres and asked nearly 50 sites under construction to consider pausing work until the new regulations are ready.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Thailand was attracting interest from local and foreign investors and needed to ensure data centre projects aligned with laws, standards and the national interest. He spoke at the first meeting of a new government committee on data centres.

Anutin said regulations would be revised to make them more comprehensive and prioritise public safety.

Danucha Pichayanan, secretary-general of the government's National Economic and Social Development Council, said around 35 data centres were operating in Thailand. He said another 49 were under construction, 11 projects had been approved and 117 more were under review.

Danucha told AFP the government did not have power to suspend construction of the 49 data centres. He said officials were asking for cooperation from companies that may choose to halt construction while clearer regulations, expected next month, are drawn up.

The move comes as demand for artificial intelligence increases and major technology companies invest in cloud and AI data centre infrastructure in Southeast Asia. The expansion has raised concerns about electricity and water use and the impact on local communities.

Microsoft announced in March that it would invest more than $1 billion in cloud and AI data centre infrastructure and operations in Thailand over the next two years. Google launched a new cloud region in Bangkok in January and said its data centres would contribute more than $40 billion to Thailand over five years.

Thailand's energy ministry raised concerns on Thursday about a Bangkok data centre it said was stockpiling 200,000 litres of diesel in underground tanks without permission. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said the capital had received six applications for standalone data centres, three of which had been operating since 2022 and three of which were paused pending review.