According to the Board of Investment (BoI), Thailand is poised to emerge as a digital economy center in Southeast Asia. The domestic development of data centers and cloud solutions, thanks to the influx of funds from companies like Google, is propelling this idea.
Google’s Investment in Thailand
Within the framework of a multi-billion dollar investment, Google has recently made an announcement about building a data center and cloud region in Thailand. The action indicates proper infrastructure and market readiness to position Thailand as a regional digital hub, said Narit Therdsteerasukdi, secretary-general of the BoI. A data center interlinks computers to store, process, and distribute data, while a cloud region combines multiple data centers to enhance overall performance.
Thailand’s Ingenuity in Stepping Up as a Tech Investment Magnet
According to Mr. Narit, Thailand’s 5G wireless technology, its high internet penetration rate, and numerous digital transformation initiatives from both the state and private sectors make Thailand appealing to prospective investors.
Thailand also offers significant economic benefits due to its central geographic location, acting as a hub for countries like Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam. Regarding the development of cloud computing and the establishment of data centers, he noted: “Data centers and cloud services are part of an economic development strategy that will enhance the Thai digital economy. They will expedite interaction between people and technologies, adding more value to the products and services developed.”
Investment Proposals and Expansion Plans
So far, foreign and Thai companies in the data center and cloud service industries have submitted 46 investment proposals, seeking up to 168 billion baht in support from the BoI.
Additionally, Amazon Web Services (AWS) targets growing its investments in building data centers for up to 200 billion baht by the year 2037. The Phase one will see the company investing on construction of three data centers within Thailand at a cost of 25 billion baht.
Thailand’s Digital Future† With significant investments from technology companies such as Google and AWS, Thailand is aiming to be the next digital hub in the southeast Asia region. The creation and growth of data centers and the cloud regions is quite necessary to enhance the digital efficiency of the country thus making it possible for the country to prosper further as a technological hub in the region.
