Sasikarn warns the government to keep pace with the AI game, expressing concern over the unchecked growth of data centers lacking good governance, opening doors for gray capital and foreign ownership of Thai data.
On 15 Sep 2026 GMT+7, Ms. Sasikarn Watanachun, spokesperson for the Ruamthai Sang Chart Party and former deputy government spokesperson, discussed the state of governance in Thailand's AI sector. She thanked all government agencies for ordering a delay in construction approvals and accelerating the regulation of data center infrastructure. However, she expressed concern about the allowance of data center construction without clear public disclosure of operational plans.
Ms. Sasikarn noted that beyond issues of water, electricity, and other waste potentially affecting the environment, transparency in AI project development is equally important. She identified two key areas requiring urgent improvement: the private sector and the government.
Regarding the private sector, the core issue is corporate governance. It is essential to ensure that investments amounting to hundreds of billions of baht do not originate from scammer groups, and that developed AI is not used to create scam systems for gray Chinese factions. Therefore, AI businesses must be socially responsible by clearly disclosing their funding sources, project purposes, and beneficiaries, given AI’s broader impact than many realize.
Although some companies have disclosed their plans, many others, especially limited companies, have not clearly explained their projects. This raises the question of whether the government can effectively understand and monitor what these companies intend to do over the next five years.
Ms. Sasikarn also expressed concern about certain Thai companies operating data centers holding the largest big data sets in the country. If such data is processed by AI without adequate legal controls, it could become extremely powerful and pose multiple risks.
Furthermore, investigations into some companies revealed provisions allowing foreign investment or shareholding. This suggests a long-term plan to permit foreign ownership, raising the question: if a company holding data on all Thai citizens is bought by foreigners, what happens when Thai data is in foreign hands? How will Thailand manage the security of its national resources?
Ms. Sasikarn questioned whether the government is keeping up with the private sector, emphasizing that regulation should not only consider the current situation but also anticipate private sector actions over the next five years.
For the government, the key is the speed of legislation to keep up with global contexts. The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES) must urgently push AI regulatory rules. Although the AI Act draft has completed public consultation, questions remain about whether the government envisions the situation five years ahead and whether the law can accommodate rapid technological changes.
Ms. Sasikarn cited lessons from global big tech companies like OpenAI and Anthropic, which faced issues with AI escaping controlled environments. She questioned the readiness of Thailand’s government systems to handle situations where AI might be misused to attack critical infrastructure such as the Bank of Thailand, especially given the vulnerability of public sector IT systems to hacking.
Additionally, the U.S. worries that superhuman AI could interfere with the economy and politics. If the government lags behind the private sector, world-changing technology might become a tool for "gray capital" groups.
Ms. Sasikarn left a message to the government, asking how Thailand plans to handle these challenges. "Because some problems can be prevented and extinguished at their source."