Beijing Haoyang To Build $2.2 Billion Data Center At WHA Site In Thailand

Beijing Haoyang Cloud & Data Technology Co. is building a 72.7 billion baht ($2.2 billion) data center in Thailand amid booming demand for AI-powered applications.

The 300-megawatt hyperscale data center will be built in an industrial park developed by a unit of tycoon Jareeblock Jarukornsaku’s WHA Corp. in Rayong province, about 180 kilometers east of Bangkok, WHA Industrial Development said in a statement on Wednesday.

Bangkok-listed WHA—which was cofounded by Jareeblock with her late husband over two decades ago—has been investing in technology and capabilities to meet the requirements of global data center operators. It owns over a third of the 26 sprawling industrial estates located in Thailand’s 1.3 million hectare Eastern Economic Corridor that has drawn billions of dollars of investments from multinational companies.

With a net worth of $1 billion, Jareeblock is among the wealthiest in Thailand. She has been running WHA since 2015. The company also has a natural gas joint venture with Bangkok-listed Gulf Development and Japan’s Mitsui & Co. and Tokyo Gas.

Targeted to be operational in 2026, the data center will be the first overseas facility of Beijing Haoyang, supporting Thailand’s push to be a regional data center hub to host so-called hyper scalers.

“This project will enhance our global presence, significantly contribute to the region’s development as a digital hub in Southeast Asia, and empower more Chinese enterprises to go overseas,” Lai Ning Ning, chairman and CEO of Beijing Haoyang, said in the statement. Beijing Haoyang operates five key data centers in economic hubs across China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Macao, and Shenzhen.

Thailand has been competing with Malaysia and Singapore to attract investments in data centers as an AI boom drives the demand for such facilities. Global tech giants such as ByteDance’s TikTok, Alphabet’s Google, and Microsoft have been building new digital facilities in the country. Thai companies have also been investing in data centers, with billionaire Sarath Ratanavadi’s Gulf Development and tycoon Harald Link’s B. Grimm accelerating expansion plans.