Thailand plans seven-tier data centre rules as applications surge

Thailand is preparing a seven-tier framework for data centres as a growing pipeline of applications brings power demand, site planning and water management into sharper focus.

The planned criteria are not yet a completed set of final operating rules. Danucha Pichayanan, secretary-general of the National Economic and Social Development Council, said they were expected to go to Cabinet the following week, with new applications expected to open in early 2027, Reuters reported on October 27.

Power demand would determine seven tiers

The framework would classify data centres into seven tiers based on power demand. Minimum requirements would cover location and land use, fuel storage, water-management infrastructure and an environmental code of practice.

Those areas put the physical demands of computing facilities alongside the investment decisions behind them. The proposal concerns the conditions under which facilities would operate, rather than simply the number of new projects seeking entry.

Existing operators would get a transition period

Existing data centres would have one year to comply under the planned framework. Reuters reported that there were more than 100 prospective operators, making the timing of application openings important for the next wave of projects.

The Cabinet-review stage matters: operators and investors should distinguish an announced plan and expected timetable from requirements that have completed the approval process.

A large infrastructure base is already in place

As of February, Thailand had 42 data centres with 3,400 megawatts of IT load and approximately 750 billion baht in investment, according to the figures reported by Reuters.

The proposed tiers would give future applications a power-based structure, while the site, fuel and water provisions would address the supporting infrastructure each facility needs. The final approved criteria and application process will determine how those plans are implemented.

Sources

• Reuters: Thailand sets new rules for data centres as applications surge