Anusorn warned the government to urgently regulate Data Center investments, pointing out that Thailand risks incurring losses that outweigh the benefits. He urged the formulation of strategies and zoning plans before the country's bargaining power runs out, citing lessons from abroad and concerns over resource impacts.
On 6 Sep 2026 GMT+7, Anusorn Thamjai, a Bangkok MP from the Prachachart Party, revealed an economic analysis of Data Center investments in Thailand. He noted that although Thailand is becoming one of ASEAN's hottest investment destinations, the net returns to Thai people may be lower than the reported investment figures because 45-60% of investment funds leak abroad as costs for hardware and imported equipment, with almost no domestic production. Moreover, permanent employment averages only 20-30 jobs per 100 megawatts of electricity used. Meanwhile, electricity costs, water resources, and environmental impacts burden Thai society. He projected that electricity consumption by Data Centers will surge to 270 megawatts by 2029, with the real issue being not power generation capacity but transmission network bottlenecks—especially in high-demand areas like Bangkok.
Anusorn added that beyond electricity issues, Thailand faces the second highest water stress in ASEAN. Establishing Data Centers in multiple areas will push water demand to peak during dry seasons, conflicting with agricultural and household needs. If government agencies neglect regulation, zoning, or impact assessments, this could lead to hard-to-control conflicts, as has happened in many countries worldwide.
He cited three international lessons: in Virginia, USA, residents protested fiercely against expansion damaging historic landscapes and the construction of high-voltage lines through communities, also fearing groundwater conflicts; in the Netherlands, protests pressured Meta to cancel a hyperscale project over concerns that the country's entire green electricity supply would be monopolized by foreigners; and in Ireland, a power crisis occurred as Data Centers consumed over 20% of national electricity, risking blackouts and prompting regulators to issue emergency policies halting power connections for new Data Centers.
Anusorn stated that for Thailand to truly develop a new industry and income base, the government must urgently upgrade human capital skills and push Thai businesses into the digital high-tech industry's value chains, rather than limiting Thai workers to construction or security roles. This aligns with the National Economic and Social Development Council's assessment that the industry requires massive investments but creates few jobs. Without technology transfer and expert development, Thailand's long-term benefits will be far less than they should be.
He also recommended that the government strengthen laws regulating fuel storage areas at Data Centers in community zones, as some store over 400,000 liters of reserve fuel. These facilities should meet safety standards equal to or exceeding those of urban gas stations. For large Data Centers, the government should enforce zoning regulations to relocate them to industrial estates instead of clustering in city centers, allowing for better safety oversight and more efficient management of water and electricity resources.