Google is investing $1 billion in the future of the cloud in Thailand

Google will invest $1 billion over the next five years to build cloud infrastructure and data centers in Thailand to meet the growing demand for cloud services in the kingdom.

A Deloitte study shows that this investment will add $4 billion to Thailand’s GDP by 2029 and support an average of 14,000 jobs per year.

The new infrastructure, located in Bangkok and Chonburi province, approximately 100 km from the capital, builds on Google Cloud’s expansion strategy in Southeast Asia, first announced in 2022.

This expansion will provide enterprises, startups and public sector organizations with high-performance, low-latency cloud services. This will also enable them to adhere to rigorous security, data retention and compliance standards.

Thailand’s newly elected Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra welcomed the investment, noting that Google’s commitment and the development of Thai expertise in cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) are a “perfect fit” with the country’s cloud-first policy.

“This synergy will accelerate the development of innovative digital services, which in turn will unlock economic opportunities and improve the quality of life for all Thais,” she added.

Google has been operating in Thailand for almost 13 years, serving clients such as Krung Thai Bank. In June 2024, it announced that Gulf Edge will support Google Distributed Cloud (GDC) in the country to offer sovereign cloud services for key industries.

This investment reflects Google’s regional strategy. In neighboring Malaysia, Google has launched a data center in Selangor as part of a $2 billion investment. The partnership with Dagang NeXchange Berhad (DNeX) will enable GDC services to be provided to Malaysian customers.

Karan Bajwa, vice president of Google Cloud Asia Pacific, said GDC will provide organizations with the distributed cloud infrastructure, developer tools and AI services needed for digital transformation.

“Furthermore, we look forward to working with DNeX to address high-value AI use cases in its operations, especially in semiconductor manufacturing, in line with the government’s ambition to elevate the Malaysian semiconductor ecosystem in the global value chain,” he added.

Beyond infrastructure, Google is focused on environmental sustainability. In Malaysia, Google launched its first water management project, working with the Petaling Jaya City Council and the Global Environment Center to restore Lake Taman Aman. The initiative aims to improve lake water quality and biodiversity through floating wetlands, reintroduction of local aquatic species and sustainable waste management.

According to IDC, total cloud spending in the Asia-Pacific region, excluding Japan, will reach $282 billion by 2025 in a market where major providers have been increasing their investments to keep pace with demand.