Thailand eyes stricter data centre licences as market nears 2 trillion baht

The rapid growth of large-scale data centres in Thailand is coming under closer scrutiny, amid questions over whether they could become more than just critical infrastructure for the digital economy and instead turn into a potential loophole for call centre gangs, scammers and grey capital to use as an operating base.

Trairat Viriyasirikul, acting secretary-general of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), said Thailand’s data centre industry is expanding at a dramatic pace. 

From 2025 to 2031, the market is projected to grow by an average of 27.71% per year, with its value rising from 470 billion baht to more than 2.02 trillion baht. Growth on this scale, he said, means the state must “set new rules” to prevent long-term risks.

One of the key concerns being closely watched is anxiety among the financial sector and security agencies that data centres could be exploited by grey capital networks. This could include leasing infrastructure to call centre gangs, using them as communication signal hubs, or even making them part of money-laundering operations through digital businesses.

Although there is still no clear evidence that data centres in Thailand are being directly used as criminal bases, the nature of the business, involving the transfer of vast amounts of data, cross-border connectivity and services for a wide range of clients, means the authorities cannot afford to ignore the risk.

Upgrading the licence requirement to Type 3, the same category used for telecommunications network operators, would allow the NBTC to impose stricter oversight. 

This would cover infrastructure standards, operator inspections and, crucially, access to deeper information on data centre customers, including who they are, how credible they are, and whether they may be linked to illegal activity.

The new measures would also include zoning controls for data centres in order to regulate electricity and water consumption, another major area of concern.

Several countries have already begun tightening investment conditions. The United States has slowed some new projects, while Singapore has become more restrictive in granting approvals, leading investment to continue flowing into Thailand.

According to the Board of Investment (BOI), seven data centre projects with a combined value of more than 96 billion baht have already been approved. Major investors include True Internet Data Centre, the Gulf-Singtel-AIS joint venture, as well as operators from Singapore, Japan and Europe.

In 2025 alone, applications were submitted for 36 investment promotion projects worth a combined 728 billion baht, reflecting how quickly Thailand is emerging as a regional data centre hub.

However, this rapid expansion is also a double-edged sword. Without adequate oversight, it could open the way for bad actors to exploit digital infrastructure in cybercrime, cross-border fraud and the movement of illicit funds.

The NBTC has insisted that the new rules are “not intended to block investment” but to strike a balance between economic growth and long-term national security. Before any announcement is issued, it will open the draft rules for public consultation.

The key question, therefore, is not simply whether data centres are a potential channel for money laundering, but how prepared Thailand is to regulate them as digital infrastructure becomes central to the economy while also risking becoming a new avenue for digital-age crime if robust controls are not put in place.