Google Invests IDR 15.2 Trillion in Thailand, Builds New Data Center

Liputan6.com, Jakarta – Google has announced a major investment in Thailand. The investment made by the internet giant reportedly reached USD 1 billion (around Rp. 15.2 trillion) to build a new data center and expand infrastructure. cloud them in that country.

Quoting information from CNBC, Friday (11/10/2024), Google’s investment was said to be part of the company’s broader strategy to strengthen its presence in Asia, while also competing amidst increasingly fierce AI competition.

With this investment, Google will establish its first data center in Thailand, located in Chonburi. This facility will play a critical role in supporting the growing demand for Google Cloud and AI services, as well as products such as Maps, Search, and Workspace.

Apart from infrastructure development, Google’s investment also aims to create new opportunities for Thai businesses, educators and society.

“As AI transforms in industry, educating and improving the skills of Thai people in using this technology is becoming increasingly important,” said Google’s Country Lead in Thailand Jackie Wang in a post on the company’s blog.

Thailand’s economy is currently said to be the second largest in Southeast Asia, and based on reports from Google, Temasek and Bain & Company, the country’s digital economic value is estimated to reach USD 50 billion by 2025.

Google itself is currently investing heavily in the fields of AI and cloud. The reason is, even though the company is still dominant in search engine technology, the presence of generative AI such as ChatGPT and Perplexity is said to have become a strong challenger.

In addition, data centers have now become the backbone of the modern digital economy. This technology is driving the emergence of cloud computing which allows access to storage and analytics services over the internet.