Thailand proposes board to regulate data center resource use

MGR Online•Economy•2d ago

Reader Briefing

The NESDC has proposed that the Prime Minister appoint a Data Center Business Policy Committee to centralize investment supervision and regulate water and electricity usage.

•The NESDC proposed the establishment of the Data Center Business Policy Committee to the Prime Minister.
•The committee aims to unify investment criteria as some projects do not apply for BOI promotion.
•Water resource management is identified as a more concerning challenge than electricity production.
•The NESDC emphasizes that investments must provide long-term economic value beyond the construction phase.

Overview

•The NESDC has proposed that the Prime Minister appoint the Data Center Business Policy Committee.
•The NESDC expects the appointment to be signed soon to centralize the supervision of investments.
•A central committee is necessary because data center operators may seek digital or telecommunications licenses from other agencies instead of only the BOI.
•The NESDC previously suspended data center investment promotion to review conditions and ensure efficiency without depriving households and industry of resources.
•The NESDC consulted with the Office of the National Water Resources and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment regarding water balance and environmental impacts.
•Danucha Pichayanan stated that water is a more concerning issue than electricity because it is a resource essential for households and other industrial sectors.
•Danucha Pichayanan asserted that data centers must support domestic economic and digital development after construction is complete.
•The government must evaluate whether existing and new projects have measures to regulate water, electricity, and natural resource use.

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Key Entities

Organization

NESDC(สภาพัฒน์)

The agency that proposed the establishment of the Data Center Business Policy Committee to the Prime Minister.

Data Center Business Policy Committee(คณะกรรมการนโยบายการประกอบกิจการดาต้าเซ็นเตอร์)

A proposed committee tasked with unifying investment criteria and regulating resource use for data centers.

Office of the National Water Resources(สำนักงานทรัพยากรน้ำแห่งชาติ)ℹ️

An agency the NESDC consulted with to consider water balance and environmental impacts.

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment(กระทรวงทรัพยากรธรรมชาติและสิ่งแวดล้อม)ℹ️

An agency the NESDC consulted with regarding water balance and environmental impacts.

BOI(บีโอไอ)

The Board of Investment, an agency that provides investment promotion for some data center projects.

Person

Prime Minister(นายกฯ)ℹ️

The official to whom the NESDC proposed the appointment of the Data Center Business Policy Committee.

Danucha Pichayanan(ดนุชา พิชยนันท์)

The Secretary-General of the NESDC.

Place

Thailand(ประเทศไทย)ℹ️

The country where the data center investments and resource regulations are being implemented.