BANGKOK, Thailand –– Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra expressed her gratitude to Google for its announced investment of over 35 billion baht (around $1 billion USD) in Thailand, including the development of the country’s first data center, Sept. 30. She believes this will help position Thailand as a central hub for Google, driving growth both domestically and across Southeast Asia.
At 5:00 PM in the Purple Room of Thai Khu Fah Building, Government House, Ruth Porat, President and Chief Investment Officer of Alphabet and Google, paid a courtesy call to the Prime Minister. The meeting aimed to discuss the progress of Google’s investment projects in Thailand and their collaboration for digital economic and social growth under the concept “Leave No Thai Behind.”
During the meeting, Ruth Porat announced Google’s commitment to investing 35 billion baht in Thailand to establish both a data center and a cloud region. This investment is expected to create over 14,000 jobs between 2025 and 2029 and generate approximately 140 billion baht in economic value by 2029.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn thanked Google for its confidence in Thailand’s capabilities to support the company’s operations. She emphasized that today’s discussions will further enhance the collaboration between the Thai government and Google, particularly in advancing Thailand’s Cloud-First Policy, which focuses on efficient data management to improve government services. The policy is aimed at ensuring safety, inclusivity, and efficiency in serving the public.
The Prime Minister also confirmed the government’s commitment to continuing projects in digital infrastructure, reassuring that discussions are ongoing with former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin to ensure consistency in policies.
Porat congratulated the Prime Minister on her new role and expressed excitement about visiting Thailand, where Google has been a long-term partner. She emphasized that the partnership has significantly progressed, particularly after the signing of an MOU with the Thai government, leading to today’s official announcement of the investment.
At 5:45 PM, the Prime Minister hosted a reception for Ruth Porat and her team at the Santi Maitree Building, where she delivered a speech acknowledging the positive relationship between Google and Thailand. She noted that Google’s products are widely used by Thais, including Google Search, Maps, Gmail, YouTube, and Google Cloud.
The Prime Minister highlighted that the foundation for today’s partnership was laid in November 2023, when former PM Srettha facilitated the signing of an MOU between Google and the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, aimed at enhancing Thailand’s digital competitiveness.
She further emphasized that strengthening Thailand’s digital economy is a key goal for the government, aimed at reducing inequality and creating more opportunities for all. Additionally, she highlighted Thailand’s robust digital infrastructure, stable utilities, and 5G network coverage as factors contributing to the country’s attractiveness for investment.
The Prime Minister assured that the government is committed to fostering a thriving digital ecosystem by promoting clean energy initiatives, such as the Direct PPA (Power Purchase Agreement), and by improving regulatory frameworks to support innovation and digital services.
In conclusion, the Prime Minister expressed her confidence in Google’s partnership with Thailand’s Board of Investment (BOI) to establish the country’s first data center. She encouraged further collaboration between Google and Thai educational institutions to develop future digital talent, preparing the workforce for the fast-evolving digital industry.
She affirmed that the government is committed to making Thailand a prosperous hub for Google, fostering growth for the Thai people, businesses, and the ASEAN region. (TNA)
