Thailand academic urges clear data center regulations to protect resources

An academic from Thammasat University has expressed support for the establishment of a Data Center Policy Committee and the adjustment of Board of Investment (BOI) incentive criteria to better manage water, electricity, and environmental impacts.

Associate Professor Dr. Surasak Boonruang noted that while the government's direction is correct, the new committee must urgently establish clear policy frameworks and standards. He warned that current legal loopholes could jeopardize energy security, economic efficiency, and foreign investor confidence.

A primary concern is that existing Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) regulations do not specifically categorize data centers based on high resource consumption, such as electricity or water usage. Consequently, large-scale data centers might bypass certain environmental scrutiny if they do not meet specific size or location criteria under current laws.