Thai PM discusses investment with Google, Salesforce execs

Prime Minister meets with US tech leaders in Davos to discuss expansion of data centres and digital products

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Wednesday held discussions with executives of Google and Salesforce regarding investment in the cloud and data centre industry in Thailand.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 55th World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, which runs from January 20-24.

During a meeting with Ruth Porat, Google’s president and chief investment officer, Paetongtarn invited Google to use Thailand as a base for producing digital products, promising continued support from the government for technology-related investment in Thailand.

Porat stated that Google’s data centre project in Chonburi province is currently under construction and is expected to be operational in the next two years. Additionally, Google plans to expand the production of Google products in Thailand, pointing out that some of its suppliers already have factories in the country.

Porat also highlighted the company’s ongoing cooperation with Thailand’s Education Ministry in providing digital skills training for Thai students and SME operators.

In a session with Sabastian Niles, president and chief legal officer at Salesforce, an American cloud service provider, Paetongtarn invited the company to invest in the government’s “Cloud First” policy to modernise public services and enhance digital knowledge among government officials.

She also emphasised the government’s commitment to maintaining continuity in digital economy policies and the transition to green energy, highlighting the fact that Thailand attracted over $4.8 billion in investments for data centres and digital infrastructure development in 2024.

Niles said Salesforce is willing to play a key role in promoting Thailand’s digital technology development, expanding public services through digital systems and developing digital skills for younger generations. The company has also collaborated with the Thai government on initiatives to combat plastic pollution, he added.

Discussions also focused on supporting the development of SMEs and digital startups, including cloud services and AI, with the two agreeing that these areas will be crucial in preparing for the growing demand in the future.

(2025/01/23-00:00)