Bangkok Post
Data centre push brings promise and peril
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Thailand's push to become a regional data centre hub is attracting investment, but growing concerns over electricity demand, environmental impacts and public participation are raising questions about how the industry should be regulated.
Key facts
- Thailand's push to become a regional data centre hub is attracting investment, but growing 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
- JERA Co Ltd, a Japanese energy company with investments in energy businesses across the region, including a stake of about 12.3% in Thailand's Electricity Generating Plc (EGCO), expects electricity demand to increase substantially over the
- Christopher Starling, chief strategy officer of JERA Asia Pte Ltd, said during a press visit to the company's Singapore office that Thailand's energy demand was projected to grow by at least 3-4% annually, with data centres and digital
- The debate over the industry's benefits and costs featured prominently at Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) 2026 in October, where policymakers, energy experts and businesses examined the growing electricity demands of data
- He pointed to the draft Power Development Plan (PDP) 2026 of Thailand, which projects electricity demand of 8.8 gigawatts from data centres.
Summary
The government has been pursuing data centre development for several years, with momentum accelerating over the past two years. In September it established the 21-member Data Centre Business Policy Committee, tasked with proposing policies and standards for regulatory agencies, monitoring the industry's impact, reporting to the cabinet and overseeing implementation.
The debate over the industry's benefits and costs featured prominently at Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) 2026 in October, where policymakers, energy experts and businesses examined the growing electricity demands of data centres and the opportunities they could create for the energy sector.