Bangkok suspends new data centre licences amid safety and regulatory gaps
Bangkok authorities have suspended new data centre licences and ordered existing facilities to comply with environmental and safety rules, as concerns mount over fuel storage, energy use and zoning loopholes in residential and commercial areas of the Thai capital.
BANGKOK — The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has suspended new data centre licences and ordered existing facilities to comply with environmental and safety regulations, following public scrutiny over facilities that have sprung up in residential and commercial areas of the Thai capital amid AI-driven demand.
There are more than 30 data centres in Bangkok, including several located next to hospitals, hawker centres and tailor shops. One facility on Rama IX Road in central Bangkok sits beside a hospital and on the same street as a hawker centre. Some have been classified as warehouses or offices instead of industrial facilities, allowing them to avoid stricter safety, environmental and zoning requirements.
Opposition MP Suphanat Minchaiynunt raised the issue of diesel reserves in a Facebook post in August, saying one facility in Bangkok's Bang Kapi district stores 429,000 litres of diesel for backup power. He noted the facility is not considered a fuel depot under Thailand's Fuel Control Act because it stores less than 500,000 litres, though it is still required to have a fuel storage licence.
Thailand's newly established Data Centre Business Policy Committee held its first meeting on Sep 4, bringing together ministers responsible for finance, the digital economy and energy. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas, who chairs the committee, said the government wants to close regulatory loopholes and create a centralised overview of the country's data centres.
"The goal we discussed today is to set a minimum standard that everyone must meet, taking care of civilians and taking care of the environment," he said. "For those who want to invest, we will evaluate their value and benefit to the country." The committee has given itself a month to draw up an initial policy framework setting out minimum rules for the sector.
Bangkok authorities have said new rules being considered will cover fuel storage, land use, safety, and electricity and water consumption. Thailand sees significant economic potential in the data centre industry, with investments already exceeding US$20 billion, but their energy demands pose a challenge as the country works towards its pledge to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
