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Ekniti to Overhaul Data Center Regulations on September 4

Ekniti to Overhaul Data Center Regulations on September 4

MGR Online•Economy•58m ago

Reader Briefing

Deputy Prime Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas will lead a national committee to regulate data centers and close legal loopholes allowing operators to register as warehouses.

  • •Ekniti Nitithanprapas will chair the first meeting of the National Data Center Policy Committee on September 4, 2026.
  • •The committee aims to address data centers bypassing Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) by registering as warehouses.
  • •The Board of Investment (BOI) is revising investment incentives to focus on high-skilled job creation and the AI ecosystem.
  • •Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has identified 6 large data center applications, with 3 approved and 3 delayed for review.

Overview

  • •The Cabinet approved the establishment of the National Data Center Policy Committee mechanism on August 5, 2026.
  • •Ekniti Nitithanprapas scheduled the first committee meeting for September 4, 2026, inviting Chadchart Sittipunt and representatives from the Ministry of Energy and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
  • •Some data center operators used legal gaps to apply for permits as warehouses to avoid EIA reports and factory licenses.
  • •The Board of Investment (BOI) reported that no new data center promotion applications have been submitted since April 2026.
  • •The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) plans to include data center regulations in the new comprehensive city plan.
  • •Authorities are investigating fuel storage at data centers, specifically a project in Ramkhamhaeng 28 suspected of storing 400,000 liters against a 200,000-liter permit.
  • •Between 2024 and 2026, the BOI approved 42 data center projects with total investments of approximately 750,000 million baht and an IT load of 3,400 megawatts.
  • •The National Data Center Policy Committee will define national standards for project approval, licensing, water and electricity usage, and data sovereignty.

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Key Quotes

Ekniti Nitithanprapas
"Data centers are a new matter, while laws are scattered across many agencies and there is no overall responsible party, creating gaps for some projects to rely on existing legal limitations."
เรื่องดาต้าเซ็นเตอร์เป็นเรื่องใหม่ ขณะที่กฎหมายกระจายอยู่ในหลายหน่วยงานและยังไม่มีผู้รับผิดชอบภาพรวม จึงเกิดช่องว่างให้บางโครงการอาศัยข้อจำกัดของกฎหมายเดิม

Key Entities

Person

Ekniti Nitithanprapas(เอกนิติ นิติทัณฑ์ประภาศ)ℹ️
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, and Chairman of the National Data Center Policy Committee and the BOI Board.
Chadchart Sittipunt(ชัชชาติ สิทธิพันธุ์)ℹ️
Governor of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.

Organization

National Data Center Policy Committee(คณะกรรมการนโยบายการประกอบกิจการดาต้าเซ็นเตอร์)
A national mechanism established by the Cabinet to set standards, policies, and regulations for data centers across Thailand.
BOI(บีโอไอ)
The Board of Investment responsible for considering investment promotion policies and benefits.
BMA(กทม.)
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration responsible for city planning and building permits in Bangkok.
Department of Energy Business(กรมธุรกิจพลังงาน)
The agency responsible for investigating fuel storage facts at data center projects.
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment(กระทรวงทรัพยากรธรรมชาติและสิ่งแวดล้อม)ℹ️
A government agency invited to integrate data for data center supervision.
Ministry of Energy(กระทรวงพลังงาน)ℹ️
A government agency invited to integrate data for data center supervision.
Cabinet(คณะรัฐมนตรี)
The government body that approved the National Data Center Policy Committee on August 5, 2026.

Place

Bangkok(กรุงเทพมหานคร)ℹ️
The city where multiple large data centers have been constructed in urban areas.
Huai Khwang(ห้วยขวาง)ℹ️
An area in Bangkok where large data centers have applied for permits.
Bang Kapi(บางกะปิ)ℹ️
An area in Bangkok where large data centers have applied for permits.
Bang Na(บางนา)ℹ️
An area in Bangkok where large data centers have applied for permits.
Ramkhamhaeng 28(รามคำแหง 28)
The location of a data center project suspected of exceeding fuel storage limits.
Rama 9(พระราม 9)ℹ️
The location of a data center project that has not yet been permitted for fuel storage.