If AI represents the future, investing in infrastructure today lays a long-term foundation. Humans and technology must coexist. Technological development progresses alongside the growth of people's lifespans and lifestyles. Therefore, sustainable technological growth must come with responsibility toward resources, the environment, and communities.
Recently, the world has faced increasing issues with Data Centers, particularly regarding energy. The IEA estimates that global Data Center electricity consumption will rise from 415 TWh in 2024 to about 945 TWh by 2030—exceeding the current electricity use of Japan. The main driver is AI, which has become a significant force behind electricity demand.
In the United States, the world's largest Data Center market, community opposition has grown steadily due to concerns about excessive electricity and water usage as well as noise pollution.
Global lessons show that in this era, capital and technology alone are insufficient. Investment must also answer how to coexist with communities. This challenge means the Data Center industry needs what is called a “responsible investor.”
Thairath Money spoke with Jiradet Jaturawit, Head of Government Affairs and Public Policy at Google Cloud Thailand. to understand the background behind the investments of a global company that has its own Data Center investment standards and has operated worldwide for over 20 years, since Google is a global technology company with more than two decades in this field.
First, we must understand that an AI Data Center is not just a concrete building housing server racks, but the essential "Engine Room" and "Backbone" driving the stability of the digital economy. Jiradet illustrated this by asking us to imagine that everyday services—real-time traffic and route checks, email, cloud photo storage, online videos, and e-commerce transactions—all process data within Data Centers.
"We may be end users of these services, but everything is built on various layers, with the most fundamental being the Data Center," Jiradet explained, comparing traditional Data Centers to vast libraries storing massive data, while AI Data Centers are like libraries with intelligent librarians who search, process, and summarize information. Internally, systems must shift from CPU-focused to AI-specific chips.
Therefore, for Google, announcing a $1 billion investment in Thailand in 2024 is not just infrastructure expansion but laying the foundation for Thailand's digital economy across government, business, and citizens.
Notably, these investments are long-term, spanning more than 20 years, as reflected by Google's first Data Center in the US, which has operated for over 20 years and continues today.
Given such a long-term presence, responsibility begins before investing. Google rigorously assesses whether the area has sufficient electricity capacity, enough water in the watershed, and how it will impact communities before selecting a Data Center site in an industrial estate in Chonburi, away from densely populated areas.
Google's most distinctive strategic advantage is its Full Stack operational model, covering every layer of the technology chain—from Data Centers, self-designed TPU chips, and Google Cloud platform to AI models like Gemini and the applications we use today.
Jiradet said, "We are not just a Data Center service provider or merely a software solution provider—we are everything. Controlling the entire chain allows Google to design all components to work together efficiently. The Gemini model and TPU chips are developed simultaneously. Buildings, cooling systems, and power supplies are designed around each TPU chip model, which continually improves energy efficiency, enabling more processing per unit of electricity. This full control reflects the efficiency of managing Data Centers."
For example, this is reflected in the Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) metric—where values closer to 1 indicate higher efficiency. Google's global Data Centers average a PUE of 1.09, below the industry average of about 1.54-1.58. Even in humid tropical locations like Singapore, where cooling is more challenging, the PUE is around 1.1, meaning nearly all energy is used for processing rather than lost elsewhere.
Furthermore, when investing in infrastructure like Data Centers anywhere, especially in contexts like Thailand, Google has a strategy to be a "Good Grid Citizen." In conversation with Jiradet, it was confirmed that these are Google's global standards, not government-imposed conditions. The strategy can be divided into four resource management aspects.
Jiradet said Data Centers are an "industry of the future" that generates multiplying value, not a one-off investment. Google's Data Center in Thailand is currently under construction, typically taking 3-5 years. After the investment announcement, the project has been ongoing for two years, employing about 4,200 local construction workers annually through contractors.
In the near future, once construction is complete, Data Center operations will not require massive employment like some factories but will create long-term, high-skilled, well-paid jobs. These include technicians, electrical and mechanical engineers, procurement experts, logistics, supply chain, clean energy, grid connection, security, and waste management. Even Thai personnel with Data Center experience must upgrade their knowledge to meet global Hyperscale standards, building expertise among Thai workers.
Additionally, Google has over 50 Thai business partners involved—from construction to supply chain support. Over a 20-year lifespan, ongoing maintenance, upgrades, and equipment procurement will continue.
Therefore, for the Data Center industry, Jiradet sees the potential to create an ecosystem in Thailand similar to the automotive industry, with many Thai businesses likely joining the supply chain within 5-10 years.
From a public policy perspective, the $1 billion investment announcement represents installing a "new economic engine" through being a responsible investor across environmental, community, and social dimensions. Jiradet said about Google's investment in Thailand, "We don't just ask because we want to use resources. We're not only demand. If we can strengthen the supply side of what we use, we do it all—electricity, water, and people." This is Google's role as a key player working with the government to grow Thailand's Data Center industry responsibly.
Source of informationIEA