BANGKOK: When construction began on a data centre across from tailor Nathinan Limjam’s small workplace in central Bangkok three years ago, she did not know what the grey, almost windowless building would house.

It was only recently that she learnt what it was – and the discovery left her worried about the potential safety risks of having a data centre so close to where she works.

“We didn’t know what it was before, but now that we do and how this could affect us, that worries me,” said Nathinan, who has worked as a tailor for six years.

Her concerns come as data centres expand across Bangkok, driven by growing demand for computing capacity amid the artificial intelligence boom. 

The facilities consume large amounts of electricity, while some store hundreds of thousands of litres of diesel for backup power, drawing scrutiny over their environmental impact and safety.

There are more than 30 data centres in the Thai capital, including several in residential or commercial areas.

One facility CNA visited is located on Rama IX Road in central Bangkok, next to a hospital and on the same street as a hawker centre.

REGULATORY GAPS

Some data centres have been classified as warehouses or offices rather than industrial facilities, allowing them to avoid stricter safety, environmental and zoning requirements.

Opposition MP Suphanat Minchaiynunt raised the issue of diesel reserves at data centres in a Facebook post in August, saying one facility in Bangkok's Bang Kapi district stores 429,000 litres.

He said the facility is not considered a fuel depot under Thailand's Fuel Control Act because it stores less than 500,000 litres of diesel, but added that it is still required to have a fuel stora...