The People's Party challenges the government to not exempt Data Centers from EIA requirements and proposes regulation according to size categories S-M-L. Eastern region MPs reveal companies rushing construction to evade rules, causing dust and waste affecting local people. Tags: [Data Center, Environmental Impact, Regulation, Construction, Public Health]
On 17 Sep 2026 GMT+7 at the parliament, Mr. Weerayut Kanchuchat, Deputy Leader of the People's Party, together with other party MPs, held a press conference expressing concerns and proposing regulatory guidelines for Data Centers based on size. This followed a meeting by the subcommittee studying industry standards, chaired by Mr. Parames Witthayarak San, MP for Bangkok Constituency 1, to review the issue.
Mr. Weerayut revealed that currently about 65 Data Centers operate in Thailand, mostly in Bangkok and the Eastern region. Investment promotion requests from the Board of Investment (BOI) exceed 1 trillion baht, making Data Centers a major GDP contributor for the government. However, this investment exploits legal loopholes by not classifying Data Centers as factories and exempting them from Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), raising widespread concerns over competition for water and electricity resources, oil storage, environmental pollution, noise, and long-term economic sustainability.
He added that the People's Party has called for regulation since 2024 and repeatedly reminded authorities since mid-year as construction expanded. Yet the government acted slowly, only recently appointing the Data Center Development Policy Committee (Data Center Board), which held its first meeting on 4 Sep. However, no conclusions on investment conditions or impact assessments have been reached. The party fears this delay and lack of rigor and is working in parallel via the subcommittee to overhaul industry standards.
Meanwhile, Mr. Komontras Kittisunthornsakul, MP for Rayong Constituency 1 from the People's Party, reported concerns from visits to the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC). Locals are very worried since construction began, facing noise, dust, and illegal waste disposal without clear regulatory oversight. He fears that impacts will worsen once operations start. Additionally, explanations from the subcommittee revealed unclear government and Data Center Board policies, increasing local anxiety.
List MP Mr. Isariya Pairipairit of the People's Party proposed regulating Data Centers by size (S-M-L) based on electricity consumption as follows:
Size S (small): uses less than 500 kilowatts of electricity.
Size M (medium): uses between 500 kilowatts and 10 megawatts of electricity.
Size L (large): uses more than 10 megawatts of electricity, with most EEC projects falling into this category.
Mr. Isariya noted concerns from agency data that the Data Center Board tends to avoid requiring EIAs. However, the People's Party insists that medium and large projects (sizes M and L) must conduct EIAs appropriate to their energy use and potential impacts.
Mr. Suphanat Meenachainan, MP for Bangkok Constituency 9 of the People's Party, added that the EIA process is the sole mechanism allowing public participation in decision-making before construction. Eliminating EIAs would curtail public rights. Regulating by size would simplify control and clarify appropriate zoning for each Data Center category. He also called on the government to disclose information and guarantee public access to data, which is critical.