Google Cloud opens Bangkok region to support Thailand’s AI economy

Google Cloud has officially launched its first cloud region in Thailand, fulfilling the company’s pledge to invest $1bn in building its cloud and datacentre infrastructure within the country.

Now live, the Bangkok cloud region aims to support Thailand’s digital economy by offering local data residency, low-latency connectivity, and direct access to Google’s suite of artificial intelligence (AI) tools.

It comprises three availability zones, allowing local organisations to distribute workloads for high availability. It is also connected to Google’s global network, including the upcoming TalayLink subsea cable. Linking Thailand to Australia, the cable is expected to improve bandwidth and reliability across the Asia-Pacific region.

A key driver for building the local infrastructure is compliance with Thailand’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA). By processing and storing data within the country’s borders, Google Cloud aims to remove barriers to entry for regulated industries, including the public sector, healthcare, and financial services.

“Our new Thailand cloud region brings the same world-class infrastructure that powers Google’s global services directly to Thai enterprises, startups, and public sector institutions,” said Karthik Narain, chief product and business officer at Google Cloud. “With access to Google Cloud’s leading cloud and AI technologies, we’re giving Thai organisations a foundation for growth in the AI era.”

Voranuch Dejakaisaya, executive chairman of Kasikorn Business-Technology Group (KBTG) – the tech arm of Kasikorn Bank, one of Thailand’s largest financial institutions – noted that the Bangkok cloud region would help with regulatory compliance, among other benefits.

“It streamlines our compliance with the Bank of Thailand’s regulatory standards, providing us with robust control over data residency and privacy,” Dejakaisaya said, adding that the local region will also enable KBTG to optimise its cloud architecture for cost efficiency while maintaining the highest security standards.

Google is positioning the new region as a gateway to its AI ecosystem. The infrastructure will provide local access to Vertex AI and Gemini 3 models, which Thai enterprises can use to build and deploy agentic AI applications.

Ekaraj Panjavinin, president of True Digital Group, the digital arm of Thailand’s largest telco, True Corporation, said the region would democratise access to Google Cloud’s capabilities.

“By fusing connectivity with cloud-based data analytics and AI, we are turning technology into practical solutions that elevate the lives of our people and propel the economy forward,” he said.

According to research commissioned by the tech giant, the Bangkok cloud region is expected to contribute 1.4 trillion baht ($41bn) to Thailand’s GDP over the next five years, supporting an average of 130,000 jobs annually.

Google Cloud’s entry into Thailand heats up an already competitive landscape in Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy. The launch places Google in direct competition with other hyperscalers that have recently established or announced footprints in the region.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has previously committed to investing $5bn in Thailand over 15 years. The company launched its own Asia-Pacific (Bangkok) region in early 2025 to cater to a similar demographic of government bodies and large enterprises requiring data sovereignty.

In 2024, Microsoft also announced that it would open its first datacentre region in Thailand and provide AI skilling opportunities for over 100,000 people. Chinese tech giants Alibaba Cloud and Tencent Cloud have also been present in the country for several years, catering primarily to the e-commerce and gaming sectors.