In brief
On 5 August 2026, the Cabinet approved a draft regulation to establish a Data Center Business Policy Committee. The committee will be responsible for proposing policies, standards, and frameworks for regulatory approvals relevant to data center operations, including telecommunications licenses, investment promotion, and other related permits.
In more detail
On 5 August 2026, the Cabinet approved the Draft Regulation of the Office of the Prime Minister on the Data Center Business Policy Committee ("Draft Regulation").
Key highlights of the Draft Regulation include:
- The establishment of a Data Center Business Policy Committee ("Committee")
- The definition of a "data center" as any building, location, or infrastructure that houses and uses electronic equipment for the collection, storage, processing, hosting, or transfer of information by electronic means to third parties that are not affiliates, as to be further prescribed
- The empowerment of the Committee to propose policies, standards, and frameworks for regulatory approvals relevant to data center operations, including licenses, investment promotion, and other related permits
- The empowerment of the Committee to conduct impact assessments on data center businesses
- The requirement that data center policies, standards, and frameworks take into account factors such as Thailand's economy, clean energy usage, energy security, efficient consumption of electricity and water, town planning, and public safety
Currently, Thailand does not have a dedicated law governing data center operations. Instead, data centers are regulated through a range of generally applicable laws and regulations, including those relating to building control, land use, construction, foreign business operations, and telecommunications licensing.
The Draft Regulation signals heightened government oversight of data center business operations in Thailand. Please see our related previous newsletters: (i) Thailand: PEA Introduces Transfer Restrictions on Data Centers; (ii) Thailand: Updated BOI Requirement for Data Centers; and (iii) Thailand: Possible Data Center Foreign Ownership Restrictions.
Next steps
Investors and operators planning data center projects in Thailand should closely monitor these developments. While the initiative remains at the policy development stage, it signals a broader trend toward increased supervision of data center operations in Thailand, particularly in relation to resource consumption, sustainability, and national strategic interests.
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Teetouch Dilokgomon, Associate, has contributed to this legal update.