Thailand Welcomes Google's US$ 1 Bln Investment

BANGKOK, Sept 30 (Bernama) -- Thailand has secured a major investment from tech giant Google, with the US company committing US$1 billion (US$1 = RM4.12) to build its first data centre and cloud region in the country. 

The announcement was made on Monday following a meeting between Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Ruth Porat, the president and chief investment officer of Alphabet and Google, in Bangkok.

Prime Minister Paetongtarn welcomed Google's decision to invest in Thailand's digital infrastructure and praised the company for supporting the government's Cloud First Policy, which focuses on enhancing data management, streamlining processes, and establishing effective e-government services.

"On behalf of the Thai government, I thank Google for its trust in Thailand's potential to support the company's business. I am confident that today's meeting will further strengthen the collaboration between the government and Google," the Prime Minister said in a joint statement with Porat here.

The Prime Minister also acknowledged the close cooperation between Google and Thailand's Board of Investment (BOI), which has been working to facilitate the establishment of the country's first data centre.

"This collaboration demonstrates Google’s confidence in Thailand and underscores the readiness of our robust digital infrastructure and skilled workforce," Paetongtarn added.

In addition to highlighting Thailand's digital infrastructure, the Prime Minister encouraged Google to explore opportunities for further collaboration with educational institutions in the country.  She said this would help enhance digital skills among Thailand’s future workforce and prepare them for the rapidly evolving digital economy. Paetongtarn also reaffirmed the government's commitment to positioning Thailand as a thriving hub for Google’s operations, benefiting both the Thai people and businesses across the ASEAN region.

Porat shared her enthusiasm for the project, confirming that Google's US$1 billion investment will support the construction of a data centre and cloud region in Thailand. She added that the investment is expected to create around 14,000 jobs between 2025 and 2029, contributing significantly to the country's economy. "It is estimated that this project will add approximately US$4 billion to Thailand’s GDP by 2029," Porat said.

This investment marks a significant step in Thailand’s digital transformation, solidifying the country’s role as a key player in the regional and global digital economy.

-- BERNAMA