Data centre push brings promise and peril

Thailand's push to become a regional data centre hub is attracting significant investment, but concerns over electricity demand, environmental impacts, and public participation are raising questions about how the industry should be regulated. The government has been pursuing data centre development for several years, with momentum accelerating over the past two years, culminating in the establishment of the Data Centre Business Policy Committee in September.

This committee is tasked with proposing policies and standards for regulatory agencies, monitoring the industry's impact, reporting to the cabinet, and overseeing implementation. At Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) 2026, policymakers, energy experts, and businesses examined the growing electricity demands of data centres and the opportunities they could create for the energy sector.

While acknowledging the need to decarbonize and enhance environmental sustainability, energy companies see considerable potential in Thailand's emerging data centre market, with JERA Co Ltd projecting a 3-4% annual increase in electricity demand over the next 15 years, driven by data centres and digital infrastructure.

Brief written by urgent.news from Bangkok Post's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.