Google Cloud Announces Plans For First Cloud Region In Thailand To Advance The Country’s Next Phase Of Economic Development

New region set to be Google Cloud’s most significant infrastructure investment in Thailand to date to support its growing local customer base, including companies in regulated industries

Bangkok, Thailand, Aug. 11, 2022 – Google Cloud today announced that it is bringing its first cloud region to Thailand to meet the growing demand for cloud services locally and around the world. Globally, Google Cloud also recently announced plans to add cloud regions in New Zealand, Malaysia, and Mexico, which will join five regions already coming soon to Berlin, Dammam, Doha, Tel Aviv, and Turin.

The Thailand cloud region will offer local organizations the enterprise-grade capabilities they need to accelerate digital transformation and create new competitive advantages, reinforcing Google Cloud’s commitment to supporting the Thai government’s plans for the country’s next phase of economic development. This follows research by AlphaBeta, commissioned by Google, which found that digital transformation, if leveraged fully, could create up to THB 2.5 trillion (USD 79.5 billion) in annual economic value in Thailand by 2030 – the equivalent of 16% of local GDP in 2020.

“We’ve witnessed clearly in the past two years the instrumental role that cloud services can play in helping us respond nimbly to digital disruption. Given that procuring and maintaining data centers are time-consuming and cost-prohibitive for most smaller sized organizations, we expect cloud services to become the backbone for driving the 20-year National Master Plan for Digital Development and achieving our Thailand 4.0 vision in the future,” said Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn, Minister of Digital Economy and Society.

“We encourage cloud adoption and welcome the announcement of the new Google Cloud region that is coming to Thailand. Access to Google Cloud’s scalable and secure computing resources will be imperative for the private sector to seize new growth opportunities, and for the public sector to enhance their delivery of next-generation, citizen-centric services,” said Ajarin Pattanapanchai, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society.

“The rise of a vibrant startup ecosystem and the fact that 9 in 10 Thais already use digital services in their daily lives is testament to the country’s rich creativity, strong entrepreneurial spirit, and openness toward embracing new technologies,” said Ruma Balasubramanian, Managing Director, Southeast Asia, Google Cloud. “With the announcement of our plans to set up a new cloud region in Thailand, Google Cloud aims to complement the government’s steadfast pursuit of infrastructure projects like the Eastern Economic Corridor and deliver the cloud foundation that more businesses need to transform and grow – whether it’s by maximizing the use of data, enabling a hybrid workforce, or having the flexible platform to adapt to evolving market and regulatory conditions. We’re excited by this expanded opportunity to contribute to Thailand becoming one of the world’s most competitive countries and the innovation engine of a digital economy in Southeast Asia that’s set to be worth THB 36.25 trillion (USD 1 trillion) by 2030.”

Empowering Organizations to Accelerate Innovation Closer to Home

When launched, the Thailand cloud region will deliver high-performance and low-latency services to local organizations, with three zones offering protection against service disruptions. Organizations will also benefit from key controls that allow them to maintain the highest security, data residency, and compliance standards, including specific data storage requirements. The cloud region will be complemented by Google Cloud’s existing Dedicated Cloud Interconnect locations in Bangkok, which provide direct connections between an organization’s on-premises network and Google Cloud’s global network.

The Thailand cloud region will join Google Cloud’s 11 existing regions across Asia Pacific and Japan, including two in Southeast Asia – in Singapore and Jakarta. With 34 regions and 103 zones currently in operation around the world, Google Cloud’s global network of cloud regions serves customers of all sizes, from public sector agencies and large enterprises to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and startups.

Google Cloud has, in particular, been gaining mindshare and market share with large enterprises operating in regulated industries. Leading companies like Ananda Development, Ascend Money, Big C, HomePro, Kasikornbank, Krungsri Consumer, Krungthai Bank, Purple Ventures Co., Ltd. (Robinhood), Siam Cement Group, TD Tawandang, and True Digital, just to name a few, have chosen Google Cloud as their trusted innovation partner to address five strategic priorities:

• Understanding and using data: Through a unified data platform that combines unstructured and structured data wherever it resides, Google Cloud enables organizations to reduce complexity, easily produce valuable business insights, and make smarter decisions in real-time.
• Establishing an open foundation for growth: Organizations running on Google Cloud’s flexible and open platform can quickly adapt as their needs evolve. Google Cloud’s open source heritage and commitment to multicloud and hybrid cloud architecture helps organizations retain their freedom of choice, enabling their software developers to build faster and more intuitively.
• Fostering a collaborative environment: Google Cloud provides the tools that organizations need to transform the way their people connect, create, and collaborate – whether they are returning to the office, working from home, or serving customers on the frontlines.
• Securing systems and users: As every company rethinks its security posture, Google Cloud helps them protect their data using the same infrastructure and security services that Google uses for its own global operations.
• Building a cleaner and more sustainable future: Google has been carbon neutral since 2007 and is working toward the goal of operating entirely on carbon-free energy by 2030. Today, when organizations run on Google Cloud – the industry’s cleanest cloud, their workloads are already matched with 100% renewable energy. Google Cloud then helps organizations decarbonize their operations with technologies like Carbon Footprint, Active Assist, and Earth Engine.

“The new Google Cloud region will help to address organizations’ increasing needs in the area of digital sovereignty and enable more opportunities for digital transformation and innovation in Thailand. With this announcement, Google Cloud is providing customers with more choices in accessing capabilities from local cloud regions while aiding their journeys to hybrid and multicloud environments,” said Daphne Chung, Research Director, Cloud Services and Software Research, IDC Asia/Pacific.

“Google Cloud’s global network has been playing an integral role in Krungthai Bank’s adoption of advanced data analytics, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), and open banking capabilities to earn and retain the trust of the 40 million Thais who use our digital services to meet their daily financing needs,” said Payong Srivanich, CEO, Krungthai Bank. “This new cloud region is a fundamentally important milestone that will help accelerate our continuous digital reinvention and sustainable growth strategy within the local regulatory framework, thereby allowing us to reach and serve Thais at all levels, including unbanked consumers and small business owners, no matter where they may be.”

“Having migrated our operations and applications onto Google Cloud’s superior data cloud infrastructure, we are already delivering more personalized services and experiences to small business owners, delivery riders, and consumers than ever before – and in a more cost efficient and sustainable way,” said Thana Thienachariya, Chairman of the Board, Purple Ventures Co., Ltd. (Robinhood). “With the new cloud region, we will be physically closer to the computing resources that Google Cloud has to offer, and able to access cloud technologies in a faster and even more complete way. This will help strengthen our mission: to build a homegrown ‘super app’ that assists smaller players and revitalizes the grassroots economy.”

Promoting Inclusive Growth Opportunities that Leave No Thai Behind

Google will soon mark 11 years on the ground in Thailand, with programs like Saphan Digital helping SMEs to establish and grow their businesses online and Go Digital ASEAN equipping underemployed and underserved youths with digital literacy skills.

“The new cloud region is a key example of Google’s growing investment in Thailand and part of our commitment toward promoting inclusive growth opportunities that leave no Thai behind,” said Jackie Wang, Country Director, Thailand, Google. “For over 10 years, our teams have been working closely with government agencies, businesses, communities, and educators in Thailand to provide the tools, training, and education that are essential for success in a digital future. When launched, the cloud region will strengthen our unique ability to bring enterprise and consumer ecosystems closer together. Organizations of all sizes would be able to adopt Google Cloud services powered by local infrastructure, in combination with synergistic global capabilities from Search, YouTube, Maps, Play, and more, to help them better serve the domestic market and export their products and services globally.”

About Google Cloud
Google Cloud accelerates every organization’s ability to digitally transform its business. We deliver enterprise-grade solutions that leverage Google’s cutting-edge technology – all on the cleanest cloud in the industry. Customers in more than 200 countries and territories turn to Google Cloud as their trusted partner to enable growth and solve their most critical business problems.