Industry minister outlines tighter data center oversight
Industry minister outlines next steps for proposed factory oversight
Industry Minister Varawut Silpa-archa outlined the next steps in the review of data center factory classification, saying the Department of Industrial Works was working on a category 108 framework for consideration by the national data center policy board. Prachachat reported his comments on 16 September. He called for stricter operating controls addressing heat, energy and noise affecting neighbouring communities, while saying the aim was not to make applications unnecessarily difficult.
Whether environmental impact assessments would be required remained subject to discussions with ONEP, the environmental policy and planning office. Treatment of existing facilities also remained under discussion. The report describes a proposal being prepared, not an enacted factory classification or a blanket EIA requirement.
TDCA calls for separate treatment of AI campuses
The Thailand Data Center Association called for regulation to distinguish five types of facility: government, financial services, telecommunications, cloud and enterprise, and AI campuses. In comments reported by Thai PBS on 16 September, vice-chairman Supparat Singhara Na Ayutthaya urged particular attention to AI campuses rather than applying a single set of controls across the industry.
He said smaller urban facilities serve users needing proximity, while AI campuses tend towards the EEC because of their larger electricity and water requirements. TDCA supported coordinated oversight and said electricity prices could increase if the changes remained reasonable and competitive with neighbouring markets. The association’s comments describe its preferred regulatory approach; no new tariff or operating requirement was adopted.
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