BANGKOK, Thailand – Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt has acknowledged that existing laws have failed to keep pace with the rapid development of standalone data centers, prompting calls to review urban planning, building-control and environmental regulations. Speaking before the first 2026 meeting of the Data Center Business Policy Committee on September 4, Chadchart said Bangkok officials would discuss the issue with experts, including the size and characteristics of data center buildings, zoning requirements and the possibility of requiring standalone facilities to conduct Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA).
Bangkok currently has six standalone data centers, three of which have received building approval from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. The other three remain under review. Chadchart said the three approved facilities had applied for building permission under the category of warehouses because Thai building regulations did not previously contain a specific definition for standalone data centers.
In the past, data centers were generally located within office buildings, where existing regulations and EIA requirements could apply. The emergence of large standalone facilities has created a new regulatory challenge because they operate differently from conventional warehouses and can require substantial electricity, cooling systems, backup generators and fuel storage.
“This is a new type of business, and every country has to adjust its laws to keep up,” Chadchart said, adding that the current situation was an opportunity to review the legal definition and regulatory framework for standalone data centers. The governor said Bangkok was responsible for issuing building certification, known as Form A.6, for the facilities. A data center cannot legally begin using its building until the required permits and approvals from relevant agencies have been obtained.
The issue has gained urgency following complaints surrounding a data center in the Rama 9 area.
On September 2, Energy Ministry officials inspected a facility after residents and nearby businesses complained about a fuel-like smell. Officials found more than 200,000 liters of diesel stored for emergency generators without the required fuel-storage license and ordered the fuel removed. Authorities said further action could follow depending on the investigation.
Chadchart said the Rama 9 facility had not yet received its building certification from Bangkok. Authorities are also investigating complaints about noise from generator testing, including an incident in which generators were tested at night. He said the three data centers that have already received Bangkok approval must also obtain the necessary permissions for fuel storage.
The rapid growth of data centers has raised wider questions about whether existing rules adequately cover their impact on electricity, water, fuel storage, noise, land use and surrounding communities.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has therefore been reviewing urban planning and building regulations, while authorities are considering whether standalone data centers should be brought under specific EIA requirements. Data centers were not previously listed as a standalone category automatically requiring an EIA.
The government has also begun developing a clearer national definition of data centers. A definition was announced in August, giving agencies a basis for updating regulations governing buildings, urban planning and environmental assessments. Chadchart said the objective was not to prevent data center investment, but to ensure that the rapidly growing industry develops under rules appropriate to its scale and potential impact.
For Bangkok, the challenge is finding a balance between attracting the investment associated with the digital economy and ensuring that large facilities are properly located, designed and operated without creating problems for nearby communities. The review could eventually establish clearer requirements for standalone data centers covering building size, land use, environmental assessments, fuel storage, backup power systems, noise and other infrastructure requirements.
