Examining vulnerabilities of data centers in central Bangkok, the city has ordered a pause on issuing licenses to close legal loopholes. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Energy is taking action against illegal fuel storage. Experts highlight inevitable environmental impacts and recommend urgent zoning and mandatory EIA enforcement.
Regarding concerns about the establishment of “data centers” in central Bangkok, such as at Ramkhamhaeng 28 or the Rama 9 area, which are near communities and medical facilities, there is massive electricity and water consumption that could risk public usage, along with pollution issues including heat and wastewater discharge. The legal gaps mean these data centers are not currently required to conduct Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA).
At the same time, hundreds of thousands of liters of diesel fuel are stored as backup power, raising safety concerns. On 26 Aug 2026, Mr. Supanat Meenachainan, a Bangkok MP from the People's Party, posted that a data center on Ramkhamhaeng 28 in Bang Kapi district stores up to 429,000 liters of diesel, equivalent to the size of 3-4 large gas stations combined.
On 2 Sep 2026, Mr. Chadchart Sittipunt, Governor of Bangkok, and related agencies held a press conference about data centers in the city, stating there are around 30-40 data centers, some longstanding, operating as company internal systems or general cloud services.
Recently, technology and business models have evolved, leading to the establishment of large standalone data centers serving other agencies. Between 2021-2022, six new data centers applied for permits; three were licensed and began operation in 2022-2023, while the other three had their permits suspended pending standard reviews. The city will temporarily halt all data center licensing until clear criteria are established.
Governor Chadchart noted that data centers previously lacked a clear legal definition, so permits were often issued as warehouses, which do not require EIA or industrial factory permits. Therefore, a review of the details is necessary.
The government officially defined data centers on 13 Aug 2026. Bangkok and relevant agencies will use this definition to review and update building regulations, EIA requirements, and zoning plans to ensure safety and appropriateness.
Regarding electricity usage, Bangkok’s data centers are not very large, consuming about 20 megawatts, compared to 100 megawatts typical in provincial or industrial park data centers.
Mr. Kasem Sarathonghuk, Assistant Governor (Planning and Innovation) of the Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA), explained that data centers in Bangkok use about 8 megawatts of electricity out of a 20-megawatt capacity. MEA supplies power separately to avoid impacting residents. This electricity use is minimal compared to other businesses, such as large shopping malls that consume around 100 megawatts. MEA also enforces connection, safety, and equipment standards to ensure reliability.
Regarding water use for cooling systems in data centers, Mr. Supichet Thawornthaweewong, Deputy Governor of the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority (MWA), clarified that large data centers in Bangkok use an average of 7,800 cubic meters of water per month, compared to about 20,000 cubic meters for large hospitals and 30,000-40,000 cubic meters for large shopping malls. So far, no impact on water supply services to MWA customers has been detected.
However, MWA is prepared to support screening and controlling data centers in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy and Bangkok authorities to minimize any impact on water users.
On wastewater concerns, Governor Chadchart explained that water is used mainly for cooling, so it does not generate water pollution. Some water evaporates as heat, and some is recycled. No indications of wastewater discharge have been found yet, but ongoing monitoring will check for hot water releases into public water bodies affecting ecosystems. If EIA requirements are implemented in the future, Bangkok will be able to monitor more effectively.
Residents experiencing disturbances such as noise, vibrations, fuel odors, or heat can file complaints through Bangkok’s channels for authorities to investigate and enforce local laws to halt incidents.
On concerns about fuel storage, Governor Chadchart said data centers must have backup power for at least 48 hours, requiring their own generators. The Fuel Control Act of 2001 limits storage to 500,000 liters; exceeding this amount prohibits location in communities per zoning laws. This limit indirectly controls data center size.
Ms. Thitipass Chotidechachainun, Secretary to the Minister of Energy, explained that data centers have long obtained permits for emergency fuel tanks for outages. However, the Ministry will suspend issuing new permits for fuel storage tanks for emergency generators at data centers until the Data Center Board establishes clear new regulations.
It was found that the data center at Ramkhamhaeng 28 is licensed to store about 200,000 liters. Any storage beyond that is illegal and subject to prosecution for unauthorized operation. The data center at Rama 9 has not yet received permission from the Department of Energy Business.
The Ministry will cooperate with Bangkok to intensively inspect all 56 establishments storing fuel for internal use in the city to ensure public safety.
Later, Ms. Thitipass visited a data center on Rama 9 Road near Rama 9 Hospital after complaints from nearby residents about persistent fuel-like odors for over two months, causing dizziness, vomiting, and fears of explosion in the dense community.
Inspection revealed that the project, a joint venture between an Eastern country and Thai investors, had secretly installed and stored 200,000 liters of diesel fuel for emergency power without a legal operating license. Officials ordered immediate removal of all fuel, and the tanks have been fully emptied.
On 3 September, the Department of Energy Business will file a complaint to prosecute under the Fuel Control Act of 1999, Section 65, which carries penalties of up to two years imprisonment or fines up to 200,000 baht, or both.
Thairath online special reporting team interviewed Dr. Sonti Kachawat, environmental and health academic from the Thai Environmental Scholars Association, who pointed out that large data centers inevitably affect the environment. However, due to legal loopholes exempting them from EIA, there has been no assessment of their environmental impact or mitigation and monitoring measures.
First, the impact from cooling systems (Cooling Towers) that control data center temperatures, sometimes as low as 1.8 degrees Celsius. The evaporated water releases heat affecting nearby communities. Used water is discharged externally at high temperatures, potentially harming aquatic life and ecosystems. Chemicals like chlorine are added to prevent algae, kill microbes, and avoid pipe scaling.
“These chemicals can affect public waterways. Also, if the temperature exceeds standards, aquatic animals may die. Cooling towers release heat, which in already hot summers can worsen heatstroke risks and intensify the urban heat island effect in Bangkok.”
Next, noise pollution from machinery and computers disturbs residents, causing stress and insomnia.
Regarding competition for electricity and water, if MEA and MWA confirm separate supply systems without impact on general users, that is positive. Bangkok likely faces fewer water and electricity issues as its data centers are smaller, but such problems may arise in provinces with less developed infrastructure and larger centers.
Dr. Sonti suggested that Bangkok should first suspend all new data center construction and assess how many can be supported, their water and electricity use, appropriate zoning, and require EIA compliance along with clear safety and environmental standards before issuing permits.
He cited the U.S. example, which prohibits data centers in agricultural or densely residential areas. For Thailand, data centers might be restricted to purple zoning areas (industrial, warehouse, large fuel or chemical storage areas where residential construction is forbidden). Small data centers might be allowed in commercial zones with moderate to low density, not in central city areas like inner Bangkok.
Once clear regulations are established, existing data centers will be difficult to relocate but must be monitored for environmental compliance and required to mitigate impacts, such as establishing buffer zones, planting dense trees to block noise and heat, and enforcing strict fuel storage safety with odor-free ventilation.
“The government must study which zoning areas can host data centers, require operators to prepare environmental impact reports, listen to public concerns, and propose mitigation measures. If promoting this industry, BOI approvals should be selective, not blanket. When criteria are issued, public hearings must also be conducted.”
