Bangkok Data Centres Face Scrutiny Over Safety and Regulatory Gaps

When construction began opposite tailor Nathinan Limjam’s small workplace in central Bangkok, she did not know what the nearly windowless grey building would contain. She only recently learned it was a data centre, and the discovery left her worried about the safety risks.

“We didn’t know what it was before, but now that we do and how this could affect us, that worries me,” said Nathinan, who has worked as a tailor for six years.

Her concern reflects a wider debate as data centres expand across the Thai capital to meet demand for computing capacity linked to the artificial intelligence boom. The facilities consume large amounts of electricity, and some store hundreds of thousands of litres of diesel for backup power. Bangkok has more than 30 data centres, including several in residential or commercial areas. One facility visited by CNA stands on Rama IX Road beside a hospital and on the same street as a hawker centre.

The controversy has focused partly on how the centres are classified. Some have been registered as warehouses or offices rather than industrial facilities, allowing them to avoid stricter safety, environmental and zoning requirements.

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We didn’t know what it was before, but now that we do and how this could affect us, that worries me.

Opposition MP Suphanat Minchaiynunt raised the issue of diesel reserves in an August Facebook post, saying one facility in Bangkok’s Bang Kapi district stores 429,000 litres. He said the site does not qualify as a fuel depot under Thailand’s Fuel Control Act because it holds less than 500,000 litres, although it still needs a fuel storage licence. His post prompted public debate and action by authorities. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration suspended new data centre licences and ordered existing facilities to comply with environmental and safety rules.

The government is also considering regulations on fuel storage, land use, safety, and electricity and water consumption. Thailand’s newly established Data Centre Business Policy Committee held its first meeting on Sept. 4. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas, who chairs the committee, said the government wants to close loopholes and create a centralised overview of the sector.

“The goal we discussed today is to set a minimum standard that everyone must meet, taking care of civilians and taking care of the environment,” he said. The committee will also assess the value and benefit of future investments, while gathering information currently spread across different agencies.

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The goal we discussed today is to set a minimum standard that everyone must meet, taking care of civilians and taking care of the environment.