The Thai government has requested that operators pause the construction of 49 data centers. This measure aims to allow authorities time to draft comprehensive legislation for the sector, which currently lacks specific regulatory frameworks.
The government expects to finalize a regulatory draft within approximately one month after September 11. While the request for a construction pause is not legally enforceable, officials warn that future regulations will apply retroactively to ongoing projects.
New legislation is expected to address power consumption, closed-loop cooling, and water usage. The government is concerned about the impact of large-scale facilities on local resources, citing issues such as excessive diesel storage and high water consumption.
Thailand recently updated its industrial power delivery laws, requiring a bank guarantee of $134 000 per megawatt. For a 200 MW facility, this equates to roughly $27 million in escrow, a measure designed to prevent the preemptive allocation of unused power capacity.
