Thailand to Enforce Data Center Business Rules by Mid-October
Thailand will enforce new regulatory standards for data center businesses by mid-October, requiring large facilities to operate in designated industrial zones and setting minimum power consumption thresholds to prevent environmental impacts
The National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) is preparing to enforce regulatory standards for data center businesses by mid-October. NESDC Secretary-General Donucha Pichyananth, chair of the Data Center Business Policy Committee, has announced progress on submitting detailed information to establish data center business controls. Various government agencies have already provided data including information on current service providers, data center size classification criteria, and average electricity and water usage figures.
Regarding electricity standards, the Energy Ministry will determine appropriate consumption limits. Electricity rates for data centers have already been set and will apply specifically to the data center sector. The council will also issue size-based control standards requiring industrial-scale data centers to locate in designated industrial zones to avoid affecting residential areas. For hyperscale data centers, the council believes power consumption should be set at 100 megawatts or above, though final thresholds require board approval.
The NESDC secretary-general stated that the timeline calls for conclusions within one month of the first meeting on September 4. Once detailed information and data center requirements are finalized, the process will move to drafting specific data center policies and determining review mechanisms to avoid fragmentation. The hosting agency assignment will follow a subsequent conclusion. "We expect to enforce data center business control standards by mid-October this year with everything in place, as many parties are currently waiting for clarity on this issue," Donucha said.
