(Nov 10): Thailand imposed new noise, heat and water rules on data centres, putting specific environmental limits on an industry expanding rapidly with the artificial intelligence investment boom.

Noise must be kept around 70 A-weighted decibels, or dBA, a measure adjusted to reflect how humans perceive sound, when uninterrupted power-supply systems are running, Danucha Pichayanan, secretary-general of Thailand’s economic planning agency, said Tuesday (Nov 10) after the cabinet approved the regulations.

Temperature increases at the boundary of a data centre site will be limited to one or two degrees Celsius, and cooling water must be recirculated and discharged water tested, he said. Facilities in industrial estates will face additional requirements.

The rules are part of Thailand’s effort to capture the economic benefits of surging investment in computing infrastructure without overwhelming water and power supplies or creating problems for surrounding communities.

“We will implement the highest standards,” Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas said. Projects that fail to meet security and environmental requirements “will not be allowed to proceed".

Thailand attracted more than US$50 billion (RM202.63 billion) of investment-promotion applications in the first nine months of the year, with AI-related projects accounting for about 70% of their value, according to the Board of Investment.

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