On Wednesday, Microsoft’s chairman and CEO, Satya Nadella, revealed “significant commitments,” including the construction of a new regional data center in Thailand, as part of the tech giant’s increased focus on Southeast Asia.
The company also pledged to provide AI skills training for over 100,000 individuals and to support local developers, without disclosing the exact investment amount.
A day earlier, Nadella announced a $1.7 billion investment in Indonesia over the next four years to develop new cloud and AI infrastructure.
“Thailand has an incredible opportunity to build a digital-first, AI-powered future,” Nadella stated on Wednesday, emphasizing that these investments would drive impact and growth in Thailand’s public and private sectors.
Microsoft highlighted the growing demand for cloud computing services in Thailand among its companies and stated that these commitments would enable the country to leverage economic and productivity opportunities arising from AI.
Prime Minister of Thailand Srettha Thavisin echoed this sentiment, describing the announcement with Microsoft as a significant milestone in Thailand’s journey towards its ‘Ignite Thailand’ vision, promising new opportunities for growth and innovation.
Microsoft’s expansion in Southeast Asia includes plans for new regional data centers in Malaysia and Indonesia, announced in 2021. The company currently operates its Southeast Asia data center in Singapore.
The surge in AI adoption has driven demand for cloud computing services and data centers, as large datasets are necessary to train AI models, and the cloud offers access to extensive datasets. Data centers serve as facilities where data is stored.
In addition to the commitments in Thailand and Indonesia, Microsoft has broader plans on Tuesday to offer AI skilling opportunities to 2.5 million people in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region by 2025, which includes Thailand and Indonesia among its members.
