Thailand: Government, Public Sector

Thailand has introduced a new regulatory framework that may expose foreign nationals who violate the Foreign Business Act to deportation. The regulation establishes an administrative process for referring foreign nationals for deportation where unlawful business conduct is deemed necessary to address in the interests of public order, including the use of nominee arrangements and operating without proper licensing.

Thailand has established a new cross-ministerial committee to oversee data center operations nationwide, reflecting the government's policy to elevate the country's digital economy and promote investment in digital infrastructure and AI. The regulation defines data centers broadly and empowers the committee to propose policies, standards, and operational frameworks across multiple regulatory domains including energy use, environmental impact, fire safety, and data sovereignty.

For businesses in Thailand’s regulated industries, the problem of “too many licenses” is one of the most familiar hurdles to getting a product to market. Take a simple example: importing the materials necessary to sell teriyaki chicken skewers.