PM opens first Data Center board meeting, sets strict rules on electricity and water use

Regulation
โดย InfoQuest·TH·Read original
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Anutin Charnvirakul, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, chaired the opening of the first meeting of the National Data Center Business Policy Committee to set the policy framework and direction for developing the country's digital infrastructure. Deputy prime ministers, the Bangkok governor, and relevant committee members attended. Anutin said data centers are key infrastructure for the digital economy, and Thailand has attracted continuous interest from both domestic and foreign investors due to its strategic location and role as an ASEAN economic hub. However, this growth comes with challenges in resource use, including electricity, water, and land, as well as environmental impacts and cybersecurity concerns. Therefore, regulations must be organized and reviewed to ensure balanced expansion, similar to Singapore and Hong Kong. Anutin also expressed concern about illegal operations, noting that some data center constructions in Bangkok are disguised to cut costs or use incorrect permit types, as well as speculative behavior in obtaining electricity permits from the Provincial Electricity Authority, with total requests reaching nearly 20,000 megawatts, equivalent to the country's entire electricity consumption. He instructed the committee to organize and close legal loopholes, emphasizing that Thailand does not want to be merely a location for data centers but must create added value through technology transfer and development of Thai personnel, prioritizing Green Data Center standards and renewable energy use in line with the Net Zero commitment and OECD standards.

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