• Datacentre investment in Asia is quickening as AI fuels demand for capacity
• Thailand’s government wants to develop the country as an important Asian data hub
• China’s GDS International is to invest up to $1bn in datacentre facilities in Thailand as part of its efforts to become a key digital infrastructure player in Asia

Up-and-coming China-based datacentre developer and operator, GDS International, is to invest up to $1bn in a hyperscale datacentre park in Thailand’s Chonburi province, just south-east of the country’s capital Bangkok, as part of its regional expansion plans. 

The deal was announced during a meeting between the GDS International senior management team and Thailand’s recently appointed prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, and is the latest move by GDS in its quest to develop a string of datacentres across the Asia-Pacific region. 

According to William Huang, chairman of GDS International, the company’s goal is to spend up to $1bn over the next five years on building “a cutting-edge datacentre park that not only meets Thailand’s cloud and AI infrastructure needs but also fosters a thriving datacentre ecosystem.” 

Jamie Khoo, CEO of GDS International, said, “The rise in AI workloads is driving increased demand for colocation services, as businesses leverage AI to enhance processes and efficiency. By collaborating with local industry players and educational institutions, we aim to equip the Thai workforce with essential digital skills for the future.”

The Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) recently approved the GDS International deployment as part of its push to make Thailand a regional technology hub. Narit Therdsteerasukdi, secretary general of the BOI, noted: “Thailand offers not only resilient digital infrastructure and stable, sufficient utilities but also a digitally engaged population, with government support that drives local demand. Its position as a neutral country, along with a commitment to technology neutrality, fosters a dynamic and open digital landscape for investors. The government is dedicated to advancing key areas, including the development of clean energy mechanisms. We are currently establishing a direct power purchase agreement (DPPA), specifically designed for datacentres, and refining digital regulations to support advancements in AI technology.”

To support the construction in Thailand, GDS International has teamed up with Amata Corp, an industrial real-estate developer and operator based in Bangkok. The agreement covers land acquisition at the Amata City Chonburi Industrial Estate and access to renewable energy, such as floating solar power. 

GDS International is a subsidiary of GDS Holdings, which is headquartered in Shanghai, China, and has offices in Hong Kong and Singapore. GDS Holdings has datacentre facilities in multiple locations around China, including Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Wuhan, and Shenzhen. Founded in 2001, it offers colocation, managed hosting and cloud services and has concentrated on constructing large-scale facilities catering for mission-critical applications. 

GDS International has an operational datacentre in Hong Kong and further facilities under development in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Japan, in addition to its plans for Thailand. It claims its collective datacentre capacity, either in service or under construction, currently stands at 480 MW, with 590 MW earmarked for future development.

In Singapore, it plans to build a datacentre on land it has already acquired near the island nation’s Jurong East Data Center Cluster. Operations there are planned to begin at the end of 2026.

In Hong Kong, GDS International has leased a 50 MW datacentre in Hong Kong, bringing its total capacity there to 84 MW, while in Japan it has partnered with Gaw Capital to build a 40 MW datacentre campus in Western Tokyo.

The GDS International datacentre announcement comes amidst a flurry of datacentre and cloud infrastructure announcements in Asia – see:

Equinix promises digital infrastructure expansion for Thailand

Cloud titans plant AI flags in Asia

AWS stakes $6.2bn on Malaysia’s cloud prospects

– Ian Scales, Contributing Editor, TelecomTV