Bangkok Governor calls for new data center regulations

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt has identified legal loopholes regarding the regulation of data centers, noting that current laws lack a specific definition for these facilities. This regulatory gap has led some operators to register as warehouses to bypass standard requirements.

Following reports of oil smells and noise pollution from generator testing, authorities have investigated a data center in the Rama 9 area. Currently, of the six data centers identified in Bangkok, only three have received permits, all of which were registered as warehouses.

The Governor has proposed reviewing urban planning, building control regulations, and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) requirements to better accommodate the growing data center industry, which he described as a new business model requiring modernized legal definitions.