Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud computing arm of Amazon, is ready to launch its new data centre region in Thailand by early next year as part of a commitment announced in 2022.
An investment of more than 190 billion baht (US$5.15 billion) in Thailand through 2037 will provide developers, startups, entrepreneurs, enterprises, government, educators and non-profit organisations greater choice when running their applications, while serving end users from data centres located in Thailand, according to AWS.
The company issued the update on Thursday at the AWS Summit Bangkok, with its "AWS Asia Pacific [Bangkok] Region" expected to go live by early 2025.
A data centre region is described as a cluster of data centres in a specific geographic area.
The new AWS infrastructure in Thailand represents the company's fourth region in Southeast Asia after developing similar facilities in Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Aligning with the government's "Ignite Thailand" cloud-first plan, the new AWS region in Thailand will play a pivotal role in advancing the country's digitisation ambitions and meeting the high demand for cloud services, while supporting innovation in Thailand and across Southeast Asia, said AWS.
The company said this new infrastructure would nurture startups, small and medium-sized enterprises and public sector organisations to collaborate, experiment and thrive with access to the latest technologies such as generative artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and the Internet of Things.
"We welcome AWS's $5-billion investment in the new AWS Thailand Region, which will enable progress in Thailand's digital transformation journey," said Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin at the event.
The move strengthens the country's national infrastructure and empowers the growth of thousands of Thai businesses, entrepreneurs, and startups, he said.
"This investment aligns with our vision for the 'Cloud First' initiative, aiming to position Thailand as a central hub for the digital economy in Southeast Asia," said Mr Srettha.
"Customers in Thailand, such as Bangkok Airways, CP All, PTT Global Chemical and Siam Commercial Bank, are already harnessing the most widely adopted cloud technology through AWS to spark innovation, enhance productivity and propel economic advancement in Thailand and beyond," said Vatsun Thirapatarapong, country manager of AWS Thailand.
"With the launch of our AWS Thailand Region by early 2025, we are further supporting Thailand's ambition to be a digital technology leader in the region, aiming to foster a prosperous future for all our customers and partners."
Thailand faces a looming AI skills gap, with 64% of employers indicating they are struggling to secure the AI talent they require, according to "Accelerating AI Skills: Preparing the Asia-Pacific Workforce for Jobs of the Future", a recent research study conducted by Access Partnership and AWS.
AWS is committed to training Thais to bridge the skills gap. It has trained over 50,000 individuals in Thailand on cloud skills since 2017, and plans to reach 100,000 people by 2026.
