The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) is calling on the government to set stricter investment conditions for the rapidly growing data centre sector, ensuring local communities and businesses benefit from the influx of foreign capital.The relocation and expansion of power- and water-intensive data centres into Thailand must generate tangible value for domestic suppliers and contractors, said Nopadej Karnasuta, chairman of the FTI's Power Producer Industry Club and president of B.Grimm Power for Thailand, Malaysia and energy and industrial solutions.
"Investors should be required to engage local businesses, from construction firms to subcontractors, so that the benefits of this industry ripple through the economy," he said.
Mr Nopadej also urged the Board of Investment (BoI) to introduce measures that promote digital workforce development.
Since January, the BoI has approved seven large data centre projects worth more than 96 billion baht. In 2025, 36 projects valued at 728 billion baht were submitted to the BoI for approval, mostly from global hyperscale operators and major cloud providers.
Mr Nopadej proposed data centres be allowed to own dedicated power plants, particularly natural gas facilities, to meet their massive electricity demand.
