Bloomberg published an article citing sources stating that a "Thai company driving national-level AI development" is suspected of being involved in smuggling Super Micro Computer Inc. servers containing advanced Nvidia chips worth billions of U.S. dollars into China, with Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. among the shipment destinations.
U.S. prosecutors revealed in a March indictment that a co-founder of Super Micro was accused of collaborating with an unnamed Southeast Asian company and a third-party broker to divert exports of AI chips, violating U.S. trade regulations. The company referred to as “Company-1” is identified by sources as OBON Corp., headquartered in Bangkok.
Investigation into OBON Corp., or OBON Corporation Limited, shows it was registered on 26 June 2018 with a registered capital of 100 million baht. Its business purpose is trading, importing, and exporting computers, computer parts, and equipment in the wholesale computer peripherals and software sector. It remains operational, with Mr. Natthapon Ongmorakot listed as its sole director.
The article states that OBON Corp., though not widely known, played a key role in establishing Siam AI, or Siam AI Corporation Limited, a Thai company officially appointed as the country's first Nvidia Cloud Partner (NCP).
Previously, OBON Corp. announced plans to install Nvidia servers in a small data center in Bangkok to launch “Siam AI Cloud,” envisioned as a national cloud infrastructure to drive the country’s AI initiatives. Subsequently, Siam AI attained official status asNvidia Cloud Partner (NCP)the first official NCP in Thailand, and organized a major national cooperation event with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and leading Thai partners in December 2024.
Rattanapon Wongnapajan, CEO of Siam AI, who, according to the article, served as OBON Corp.’s CEO at least until May 2024, stated in an interview that he left OBON Corp. upon founding Siam AI and could not comment on U.S. suspicions. He emphasized he could only speak for Siam AI, which “confirms no involvement with these allegations,” affirming that the company imports GPU chips solely for internal use.
However, sources cited in the article indicate OBON Corp. is one of the server suppliers to Siam AI, which also collaborates with other partners, including jointly sourcing Nvidia chips with a Dubai-based partner.
Bloomberg also clarified in the article that it was unable to contact OBON Corp. for comment, and Bloomberg reporters who visited OBON Corp.’s registered address in Bangkok were denied entry to the building.
Allegations against OBON Corp. could undermine confidence in Thailand’s AI development plans and may prompt the U.S. to reconsider export restrictions on chips to the region. The U.S. has previously considered such measures against Thailand multiple times but has not enforced them. Meanwhile, U.S. authorities have begun investigating Nvidia for large-scale hardware sales, following scrutiny of multiple partners in Singapore. Nvidia maintains that its partners strictly comply with regulations and is willing to cooperate with authorities to prevent violations, while continuing to build AI infrastructure.
Since 2022, the U.S. has blocked exports of these advanced chips to China, requiring companies to obtain U.S. government licenses before exporting nearly all Nvidia AI chips to that country. This has left Chinese companies with only two options to access high-end AI hardware: legally leasing chips located abroad, or purchasing chips smuggled into China.
Although the indictment does not name OBON Corp. or Alibaba, and U.S. authorities have not formally accused any organization, the disclosures caused Super Micro’s stock to plunge sharply. This marks the most significant crackdown on chip smuggling since Washington began restricting Nvidia sales to China in 2022.
. Alibaba spokesperson denied any business relationship with Super Micro, OBON Corp., or any third-party brokers, and denied involvement in the smuggling. The company also stated it has never used prohibited Nvidia chips in its data centers. Meanwhile, the accused individuals, including Yih-Shyan “Wally” Liaw, co-founder of Super Micro, and Ting-Wei “Willy” Su, have denied all allegations and stated the company enforces strict legal compliance measures.
Although the indictment revealed suspicious rapid sales growth to OBON Corp., causing Super Micro to temporarily halt shipments in 2024, further suspicious behaviors were uncovered, including staging fake servers and bribing inspectors. Ultimately, days after the investigation, the U.S. Commerce Department ordered a complete suspension of shipments to OBON Corp., a ban still in effect.
Source information Bloomberg
Follow the Facebook page: Thairath Money at this link -