Bangkok Governor Halts New Data Centre Permits Over Resource Concerns

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt ordered a halt to new data centre permits in the capital to address regulatory gaps in urban planning and environmental impact assessments. The decision follows statements from Minister of Digital Economy and Society Chaichanok Chidchob, who noted that existing data centres were operating in areas where they were not permitted.

A review by JustPow identified 34 data centre projects in Bangkok, including 24 operating facilities, seven under construction, and three planned. Most of these sites are located in densely populated inner-city districts. These facilities are estimated to consume 247.2 megawatts of electricity and 4.43 million cubic metres of water annually.

Local residents have raised safety and environmental alarms, specifically regarding the storage of hundreds of thousands of litres of backup fuel. Concerns also include the Data Centre Heat Island effect, which could increase local temperatures by 2 to 9 degrees Celsius. Governor Sittipunt is now reviewing urban-planning laws to resolve these safety and resource consumption issues.