Thailand’s NBTC Office drafts fast-track data centre licence rules

Thailand is pressing ahead with efforts to compete in the data centre industry after the Data Centre Business Policy Committee held its first meeting of the year, Meeting No. 1/2026, on Friday (September 4, 2026).

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul chaired the meeting, underscoring the importance the government places on the industry as critical infrastructure supporting the digital economy and artificial intelligence (AI), both of which are expanding worldwide.

Four pillars for policy implementation

The meeting established a working framework involving four bodies.

Each must submit information to the secretariat by Friday (September 11, 2026), for use in setting minimum requirements and formulating overall policies.

These will cover electricity tariffs, new water-pricing models, green measures, workforce development, support for small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) operators and the development of foundations for AI.

The four bodies are as follows:

• Economic subcommittee: The Office of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (Office of the NBTC) is one of the key agencies involved.
• Infrastructure committee
• Location and urban planning committee
• Environmental committee

In addition to formulating policies for individual areas, another important task raised at the meeting was the integration of information from different agencies into a single database.

This would help reduce duplication and streamline approval procedures in the future.

NBTC Office proposes two licensing routes with approval possible within seven working days

The Office of the NBTC has prepared proposed criteria and conditions for data centre operating licences for submission to the Data Centre Subcommittee. Two principal licensing routes are planned:

Automatic route (Type 1)

• Condition: All documents must be complete and meet the criteria.
• Consideration period: The application will be submitted to the NBTC chairman for approval and signature within seven working days.

General route (Type 3)

• Condition: A detailed examination is required.
• Consideration period: The Office of the NBTC will examine the documents within 60 days, after which the NBTC board will have a further 30 days to consider approval.

The seven-working-day automatic route is considered a positive signal for investors seeking to accelerate project development as competition for data centre investment across Southeast Asia grows fiercer each year.

Tighter screening for applicants with adverse records

Applicants must meet the basic qualifications under legislation governing telecommunications businesses.

They must be Thai juristic persons, must not be bankrupt, and must never previously have had a licence revoked.

Their executives must also have no record of cases involving telecommunications or consumer-protection offences during the previous two years.

Additional disqualifying conditions include receivership or the seizure or attachment of assets, directors who are disqualified under laws within the remit of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), involvement in serious criminal cases such as cybercrime, cases under the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), money laundering or corruption during the previous two years, legal proceedings for public fraud, or the cancellation of a licence during the previous year for failing to begin actual operations or for outstanding fees.

These requirements reflect the NBTC’s effort to screen applicants for credibility before they enter the industry.

Data centres must demonstrate power readiness and secure approval for technical plans

Data centres consume substantial amounts of electricity.

Applicants must therefore have a power purchase agreement (PPA) or documentation confirming an electricity allocation from the Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) or the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) that corresponds to the project’s IT load.

This is intended to demonstrate genuine readiness and prevent electricity quotas from being reserved without actual use.

Applicants must also submit plans for energy systems, cooling systems and chemical management that have received the approvals required by law.

Four commitments after a licence is granted

The criteria proposed by the Office of the NBTC extend beyond the approval process by imposing four operating commitments after a licence has been granted:

• Local content: At least 50% of the materials used in structures, construction and electrical systems, including cement, steel and electrical wiring, must be sourced from domestic manufacturers that meet required standards, except where products are in short supply or unsuitable for use.
• Green policy: Operators must have measures to reduce carbon emissions, use energy sustainably and report their environmental performance annually.
• Electronic waste and dismantling: Operators must have plans to separate hazardous waste, prevent data leaks from decommissioned equipment and dismantle facilities when operations end.
• Internet circuit reporting: Operators must submit the names of providers supplying domestic and international connectivity circuits for security and traffic-monitoring purposes.

Challenges ahead

The framework being prepared by the Office of the NBTC seeks to balance the speed required to attract investors with the thorough oversight needed to address energy security, environmental protection and support for domestic industry.

Its success, however, will depend on coordination among the four working bodies, the submission of information by the September 11 deadline and the conversion of these policy proposals into clear operating guidelines that can help Thailand become a regional data centre hub.

Source: Thansettakij