The new hubs in Bangkok and the industrial area of Chonburi are intended to help meet growing demand for cloud computing in Southeast Asia, the company said in a Monday statement.
Google's investment comes after Microsoft announced in May that it would create Thailand's first data centre region to boost cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure.
"These investments will empower Thai businesses, innovators, and communities to harness the power of cloud and AI technology," Ruth Porat, president and chief investment officer of Google and its parent company Alphabet, said.
The investment's details were unveiled after a Bangkok meeting between Porat and Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who hailed the move as proof Thailand was becoming a major digital hub in Southeast Asia.
The data centre will be located in Chonburi, a major industrial area southeast of Bangkok, while the cloud facilities will be in the capital itself.
Google's expansion in Thailand will add $4 billion to the kingdom's GDP by 2029 and support 14,000 jobs between 2025 and 2029, the company said, citing a report from consultancy Deloitte.
The announcement comes a year after Shinawatra's predecessor Srettha Thavisin made a major push for investment from US tech giants during a trip to New York, seeking finance from Google, Microsoft and Elon Musk's Tesla.
Thailand is Southeast Asia's second-largest economy, but its tech sector has lagged behind the likes of Singapore and Indonesia.
The Thai economy, long focused on traditional manufacturing, agriculture and tourism, has struggled to bounce back from the Covid-19 pandemic.
The government hopes investment from Google, Microsoft and their ilk will diversify and modernise the kingdom's economy.
Thailand's Office of the National Digital Economy and Society Commission has said the digital economy could contribute as much as 30 percent of GDP by 2027.
Across the region, governments are vying for US tech dollars, with Vietnam making a drive to move up the value chain from its traditional base as a hub for producing shoes, clothes and furniture.
Vietnam hopes to cash in on the US move to become less dependent on China for key resources including high-tech chips.
And last week, Vietnamese state media reported that Musk's SpaceX plans to invest $1.5 billion in the communist country.
Meta says to produce virtual reality headsets in Vietnam
Hanoi (AFP) Oct 1, 2024 -
Facebook parent Meta will produce its next-generation virtual and augmented reality headsets in Vietnam, creating more than 1,000 jobs, the company said Tuesday.
The announcement comes as Vietnam looks to boost its attractiveness as a destination for investment by the world's biggest companies and a key part of the global supply chain.
Speaking at a tech conference in Hanoi, Meta's global affairs president Nick Clegg said the firm would focus on the production of the Quest 3S headset in the Southeast Asian country.
"We will, with our local partners, be manufacturing them here in Vietnam, and we estimate that this will create well over 1,000 new jobs," he said.
Communist Vietnam -- long a low-cost destination to make clothes, shoes and furniture -- is eyeing a rapid climb up the global supply chain and last week the government said Elon Musk's SpaceX plans to invest $1.5 billion in the country.
Vietnam's top leader To Lam used a trip to New York last month to meet bosses from Apple, Meta and IT firm Supermicro.
He also met President Joe Biden, a year after the US leader made a high-profile state visit to Vietnam to boost diplomatic and trade ties.
Vietnam is particularly intent on developing its capabilities in the lucrative chip industry, with global supply chain shocks and fears about US reliance on China for key resources boosting investment there.
Meta's Facebook is widely used in Vietnam and Clegg said the nation was among the global leaders in using its Messenger platform "not just to send messages to family and friends, but actually communicate with businesses and so foster trade and commerce across the country".
But Facebook has also faced criticism from human rights groups in recent years for blocking content deemed illegal by the country's government.
Facebook is a popular platform for activists in Vietnam, where all independent media is banned.
Related Links
Space Technology News - Applications and Research
| Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters |
| Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters |
