Gulf: Thailand's Late Entry into Data Centers is an Advantage

Matichon•Economy•16h ago

Reader Briefing

Smith Phanomyong of Gulf Development argues that Thailand's late entry into the data center market allows the country to utilize more efficient technology and retain digital economic value.

•Smith Phanomyong spoke at the 'NEW ENERGY FOR THAILAND' seminar on August 26.
•Thailand's data center capacity has increased from under 100 megawatts a few years ago to approximately 700 megawatts currently.
•Thailand pays approximately 4.5 trillion baht annually for foreign digital services.
•Modern data centers in Thailand can achieve a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of below 1.2.

Overview

•On August 26, the Matichon editorial team organized a special seminar titled 'NEW ENERGY FOR THAILAND' at the Pullman King Power Hotel Bangkok.
•Smith Phanomyong stated that data centers are tools for creating economic value and bringing digital income back into Thailand rather than being a resource burden.
•Smith Phanomyong compared data centers to car assembly plants, noting that local infrastructure creates domestic value through investment and employment even if the technology is foreign.
•Smith Phanomyong noted that Thailand spends about 340,000 million baht per month on foreign digital services, including Cloud Computing, enterprise software, and online platforms.
•Smith Phanomyong reported that Thailand's data center capacity has grown to approximately 700 megawatts, compared to Singapore's 5,600 megawatts.
•Smith Phanomyong identified a 'Late Mover Advantage' for Thailand, as the country can implement newer AI chips and energy-efficient systems from the start.
•Smith Phanomyong mentioned that PUE values for new data centers have decreased from around 1.8 to below 1.2, reducing power used for supporting systems like cooling.

Full article content is available on the original source.

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Source: Matichon (Original)

Key Quotes

Smith Phanomyong

"Data centers are actually not scary because they operate like shopping malls or large offices, being buildings that provide cooling for computers."

ดาต้าเซ็นเตอร์จริง ๆ แล้วไม่ได้น่ากลัว เพราะทำงานเหมือนห้างสรรพสินค้าหรือออฟฟิศใหญ่ ๆ เป็นอาคารที่ทำความเย็นให้เครื่องคอมพิวเตอร์

Smith Phanomyong

"Specifically, digital services that Thailand must pay for are valued at approximately 340,000 million baht per month, or about 4.5 trillion baht per year."

เฉพาะบริการดิจิทัลที่ไทยต้องจ่ายออกไปมีมูลค่าประมาณ 340,000 ล้านบาทต่อเดือน หรือประมาณ 4.5 ล้านล้านบาทต่อปี

Smith Phanomyong

"But actually, coming late is an opportunity because Thailand can use the latest equipment that is highly efficient and energy-saving."

แต่จริง ๆ แล้วการมาช้าคือโอกาส เพราะไทยได้ใช้อุปกรณ์รุ่นใหม่ล่าสุดที่มีประสิทธิภาพสูงและประหยัดพลังงาน

Key Entities

Person

Smith Phanomyong(สมิทธ์ พนมยงค์)

Chief Strategy Officer of Gulf Development Public Company Limited.

Organization

Gulf Development Public Company Limited(บริษัท กัลฟ์ ดีเวลลอปเมนท์ จำกัด (มหาชน))

The company where Smith Phanomyong serves as Chief Strategy Officer.

Matichon(มติชน)ℹ️

The editorial team that organized the 'NEW ENERGY FOR THAILAND' seminar.

Microsoftℹ️

A foreign digital service provider used in Thailand.

SAPℹ️

A foreign digital service provider used in Thailand.

Oracleℹ️

A foreign digital service provider used in Thailand.

Salesforceℹ️

A foreign digital service provider used in Thailand.

Place

Pullman King Power Hotel Bangkok(โรงแรมพูลแมน คิง เพาเวอร์ กรุงเทพฯ)

The venue where the 'NEW ENERGY FOR THAILAND' seminar was held.

Singapore(สิงคโปร์)ℹ️

A country mentioned as having approximately 5,600 megawatts of data center capacity.