(Feb 28): Chinese-owned video platform TikTok pledged to spend US$8.8 billion (RM39.3 billion) building artificial intelligence (AI) data centres across Thailand over the next five years, more than doubling an earlier investment target for the Southeast Asian nation.

ByteDance Ltd’s most valuable service is putting the infrastructure in place to support domestic users, including some 50 million on TikTok alone, Vice President of Public Policy Helena Lersch told Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra in Bangkok on Friday. She didn’t elaborate on details of the planned investment.

The pledge follows the government’s sign-off on TikTok’s plan to invest US$3.8 billion in the country of 70 million people. Thailand is among Southeast Asian nations drawing investment from global tech companies such as Microsoft Corp, Nvidia Corp and Apple Inc, all seeking to tap the growth potential of the fast-digitising region.

The government welcomed TikTok’s plan, which will help develop Thailand’s AI, content creation and human resource skills, Paetongtarn said on X.

In 2024, investment pledges in Thailand surged 35% from a year earlier to 1.14 trillion baht (US$33.3 billion or RM148.79 billion), the highest since 2014. The government is targeting fresh proposals worth at least one trillion baht this year.

Uploaded by Tham Yek Lee