Google has announced its plan to invest $1 billion in building digital infrastructure in Thailand, including a new data center, with the aim of creating 14,000 jobs in the country. The new hubs in Bangkok and Chonburi will cater to the increasing demand for cloud computing in Southeast Asia.
This investment by Google follows Microsoft’s announcement in May about establishing Thailand’s first data center region to enhance cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Ruth Porat, president and chief investment officer of Google and Alphabet, stated, “These investments will enable Thai businesses, innovators, and communities to leverage the potential of cloud and AI technology.”
The details of the investment were disclosed after a meeting between Porat and Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra in Bangkok, where the Prime Minister praised Thailand’s emergence as a significant digital hub in Southeast Asia.
Google’s data center will be situated in Chonburi, while the cloud facilities will be in Bangkok. The expansion is projected to contribute $4 billion to Thailand’s GDP by 2029 and generate 14,000 jobs between 2025 and 2029, according to a report by Deloitte.
Thailand, the second-largest economy in Southeast Asia, aims to boost its tech sector and modernize its economy with investments from tech giants like Google and Microsoft.
The country’s Office of the National Digital Economy and Society Commission anticipates that the digital economy could make up to 30% of the GDP by 2027.
Across the region, governments are competing for investments from US tech companies, with Vietnam also making efforts to attract tech dollars and reduce dependence on China for key resources like high-tech chips.
In a recent development, Vietnamese state media reported that Elon Musk’s SpaceX plans to invest $1.5 billion in the country.
(This article is published from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by NDTV staff, except for the headline.)
