Thailand's Data Centre Business Policy Committee is preparing an urgent meeting to address the lack of a single law governing data-centre operations, according to a source at the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC).
The committee, known as the Data Centre Board, will consider how agencies overseeing construction, electricity, factories, investment, communications and data transmission can coordinate their powers under a more systematic framework.
Separate rules for one industry
Data centres are central to digital-economy infrastructure because they store and process information. Yet Thailand has no comprehensive legislation covering every aspect of the business, the NBTC source said.
"Data centres now involve a large number of ministries because Thailand still has nothing that directly regulates them as data centres," the source said. "They therefore do not fall entirely under any one ministry."
The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society does not have full authority over the sector under the present legal structure. Its powers most directly concern communications systems and data transmission, while other areas remain under agencies responsible for buildings, electricity, factory operations and investment promotion.
The Cabinet approved a draft Prime Minister's Office regulation for the Data Centre Business Policy Committee on August 5, 2026. Under it, a deputy prime minister appointed by the prime minister will chair the committee, with the Digital Economy and Society, Interior and Energy ministers as first, second and third deputy chairs.
NBTC licences show only part of the picture
The NBTC can issue telecommunications business licences where data-centre services qualify as telecommunications activities. As of July 27, 2026, 26 entities held such licences: 23 Type 1 licences and three Type 3 licences.
Further applications were still being processed, including cases awaiting formal signatures and document checks.
Those figures do not represent the total number of Thai data centres, however, as NBTC licensing covers only activities within its telecommunications jurisdiction. Depending on the project, operators may also need approvals relating to electricity use, construction, factory operations and Board of Investment promotion.
Permit packages vary according to a project's format, scale and activities. A licence from one authority should not be taken as proof that an operator has every approval required for the whole facility.
Backup fuel under scrutiny
Fuel storage for emergency generators is one area requiring individual checks. Data centres need alternative power supplies during outages, and permission from relevant energy authorities is required when stored fuel reaches legal thresholds, which can apply even at volumes in the tens of thousands of litres.
The planned board will bring together agencies responsible for infrastructure, energy, water, town planning, safety, the environment and communications. Until now, each has dealt only with matters assigned under its own laws.
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3 September 2026
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