Thailand discusses data centre investment and skills training with AWS

Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul discussed expanding data centres, cloud investment and digital workforce training with Amazon Web Services (AWS), according to government spokesman Ekkapob Pianpises.

Anutin met AWS vice-president of global public policy Michael Punke at Government House. Their discussions also covered developing local supply chains and the government’s efforts to ensure stable and sustainable energy supplies for data centre expansion, Ekkapob said.

The spokesman said the government is establishing a Data Centre One-Stop Service to help allocate resources and simplify investor operations. It is also working with the Data Centre Policy Committee and other agencies to support expansion over the longer term.

Anutin highlighted the Board of Investment’s Thailand Fast Pass Service, which aims to speed up government approvals and reduce regulatory obstacles for foreign investors. He also pointed to its Skill Bridge scheme for developing advanced digital skills.

AWS has partnered with the College of Innovation and Industrial Management at King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang to launch a master’s programme in data centre engineering. At the meeting, the company proposed training and knowledge transfer on data centre operations for civil servants and members of the public.

Both sides stressed data protection, clear regulatory standards and wider use of cloud services by businesses and government. AWS also reiterated its commitment to clean energy and sustainable technology, including Direct Power Purchase Agreements and air-cooling systems.