Microsoft has announced plans to build cloud and AI infrastructure in Thailand, including a data center region.
Microsoft’s digital infrastructure commitment includes establishing a new data center region in Thailand to expand the availability of the company's hyperscale cloud services.
It follows growing demand for cloud services in the country, though details of the proposed data center region have not yet been disclosed.
At the Microsoft Build AI Day in Bangkok, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said: “Thailand has an incredible opportunity to build a digital-first, AI-powered future. Our new data center region, along with the investments we are making in cloud and AI infrastructure, as well as AI skilling, will build on our longstanding commitment to the country - and will help Thai organizations across the public and private sector drive new impact and growth.”
Prime Minister of Thailand Srettha Thavisin added: “Our ‘Ignite Thailand’ vision for 2030 aims to achieve the goal of developing the country’s stature as a regional digital economy hub that significantly enhances our innovation and research and development capabilities while also strengthening our tech workforce.”
Prime Minister Thavisin formally invited Microsoft to invest in the country’s digital infrastructure in September last year. The company formed a memorandum of understanding with the Royal Thai government two months later, committing to aiding the country’s digital growth strategy.
DCD reported last year that AWS, Microsoft, and Google all had plans to invest a combined $8.5 billion in Thailand data centers.
Google announced plans for a Thai cloud region in August 2022 and Amazon followed with its own announcement in October of the same year. Amazon also launched a Local Zone Edge location in Bangkok in December 2022. Tencent has two availability zones within Bangkok and Alibaba opened a data center in Bangkok in May 2022.
NTT broke ground on a 12MW data center in Bangkok earlier this year, expected to go live in 2025.
Microsoft’s proposition in Thailand echoes its $1.7 billion investment in cloud and AI infrastructure in Indonesia last week.
