Google plans to invest $1 billion in Thailand to build a data center and cloud region aimed at meeting the demand for cloud services and supporting artificial intelligence (AI) adoption in Southeast Asia.
The investment is expected to create an average of 14,000 jobs annually until 2029, according to a Deloitte study commissioned by Google.
Google earlier said it is aiming to have quarterly capital expenditures (Capex) of $12 billion throughout the year, reflecting annual Capex of $48 billion in 2024.
Thailand is one of the main markets for cloud providers. The public cloud market in Thailand is expected to reach $1.872 billion in revenue in 2024, and $4.588 billion by 2029.
The data center and cloud services market in Thailand is expected to grow to $840 million and $3.6 billion respectively by 2027. The cloud computing services market in Thailand is expected to reach $1.018 billion by 2028.
The new infrastructure, which includes a data center in Chonburi and a cloud region in Bangkok, will cater to both private and public sector clients. It will support Google’s digital services such as Search, Maps, and Google Workspace.
The move follows a similar initiative by Microsoft, which announced in May that it would launch its first regional data center in Thailand.
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra praised Google’s investment, stating that it is “perfectly aligned” with Thailand’s Cloud First Policy, which aims to enhance the country’s digital infrastructure and technological capabilities.
Google’s investment is expected to play a key role in fostering innovation and AI development in Southeast Asia while helping meet the region’s growing demand for cloud services.
