Gulf and Singtel Form Strategic Partnership to Build Submarine Cable Connectivity Between Thailand and Singapore

Gulf Development and Singtel Group have announced a strategic partnership to develop new submarine cable connectivity between Thailand and Singapore, a move aimed at reinforcing both countries' positions as leading digital economies in Southeast Asia. The collaboration brings together Gulf's infrastructure development expertise and expanding digital business portfolio with Singtel's leadership in submarine cable infrastructure and services.

Under the partnership, the two companies will develop and invest in subsea cable assets to support growing demand for cloud, AI, data centre and digital services across the region. The initiative reflects a shared commitment to long-term collaboration and value creation, according to the companies.

Sarath Ratanavadi, Chief Executive Officer of Gulf Development, described the partnership as an important milestone in Gulf's digital infrastructure strategy. "Together, we are creating a platform that strengthens submarine cable connectivity between Thailand and Singapore while supporting Thailand's ambition to become a leading digital and AI economy in Southeast Asia," he said. "With our complementary strengths, we aim to build critical infrastructure that enables digital growth and creates long-term value for the economies and communities we serve."

Yuen Kuan Moon, Group Chief Executive Officer of Singtel, said Thailand and Singapore are two of Southeast Asia's most important digital economies. "Our partnership with Gulf brings together our expertise in digital infrastructure and submarine cable systems to meet the growing demand for cloud, AI, data centre and digital services," he said. "We look forward to deepening submarine cable links between our two countries and supporting the next phase of digital growth and innovation in the region."

As the first initiative under the partnership, the two companies will participate in the Vietnam-Thailand-Singapore (VTS) Cable System, creating a new subsea cable link that strengthens Thailand's connectivity to Singapore. Singtel Singapore and Thai associate AIS, the leading telecommunications operators in Singapore and Thailand respectively, would draw on their market expertise, connectivity capabilities and customer reach to support the development and commercialisation of the system. The VTS Cable System is expected to be operational by 2030, with capital requirements spread out over multiple years. Gulf and Singtel could also consider investing in terrestrial cable systems and other subsea cable systems in the future.

The partnership comes as Thailand increasingly attracts investments in data centres, cloud services and digital platforms. As demand for digital and AI infrastructure accelerates, enhanced international connectivity will play a key role in supporting the country's ambition to become a leading digital and AI economy. The initiative also reinforces Singapore's position as Southeast Asia's premier digital connectivity gateway. By strengthening submarine cable links between two of the region's leading digital economies, it aims to meet the evolving needs of enterprises, cloud providers, hyperscalers and digital platforms seeking resilient, diverse and high-performance connectivity.

The partnership builds on Gulf and Singtel Group's existing collaborations in Thailand across telecommunications and data centres, and provides a platform for both companies to pursue further opportunities across Southeast Asia in support of digital investment, innovation and sustainable economic growth.