Mr Supparat said Thailand has a huge opportunity to not only contribute domestically, but hopefully to compete at a regional level.

Thailand's digital transformer

Hyperscale data centre firm ST Telemedia Global Data Centres Thailand (STT GDC Thailand), helmed by chief executive Supparat Sivapetchranat Singhara na Ayutthaya, has taken a leading role in the country's development of digital infrastructure as demand skyrockets.

STT GDC has achieved positive growth of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda), outpacing the industry average.Mr Supparat said the company positions Thailand as a key player in Southeast Asia's burgeoning artificial intelligence (AI) economy.

STT GDC Thailand is a joint venture between Frasers Property Ltd and ST Telemedia Global Data Centres.

Mr Supparat oversees all data centre commercials and operational initiatives in Thailand, including the flagship hyperscale centre in Bangkok, STT Bangkok 1.STT Bangkok 1 can meet rising demand for digital infrastructure, which is driven by increased media consumption and demand for digital transformation from the business and government sectors.

The upcoming STT Bangkok 2 will be located next to to STT Bangkok 1, adding to the existing 20 megawatts of electricity and tailored co-location services for high-density and AI workloads.

STT Bangkok 3 is now located in the One Bangkok district, Thailand's largest integrated mixed-use development in the central business district. It will serve as an interconnection hub, offering high carrier density and low latency — ideal for enterprises needing fast and reliable access to data, applications, and cloud services.With over 20 years of industry experience, Mr Supparat has been recognised as the executive who drives transformation and growth in the dynamic landscape of today's digital economy.

Mr Supparat also serves as Vice-Chairman of the Thailand Data Centre Association and a Director of the Thailand-China Business Council, underscoring his influence in the sector.

AI economy race

From a global data centre perspective, Mr Supparat said his focus is always listening and adding value to customers.

"Over the past two to three years, we've concentrated on capturing the hyperscale data centre market," he said. "A key trend we're seeing now is the growth of the AI economy. Hyperscale data centres that support this AI economy must be capable of providing effective cooling and high-density servers.

"At STT GDC, we don't just offer solutions for cloud service providers; we're also ready to deliver value-added solutions for AI-related customers through innovative cooling technologies."

In the AI economy, one of the key drivers is the graphics processing unit (GPU). This component is essential for running AI models, but it comes with significant challenges: GPUs consume a lot of power, which generates a lot of heat.

Traditionally, data centres have relied on air cooling systems to manage this heat. However, as the demand for AI applications grows and more GPUs are deployed, these air-cooling methods are no longer sufficient. The solution lies in a liquid cooling system.This method is more efficient and can better support the increasing cooling demands of modern AI workloads.

"We have to understand this trend and we have to be able deliver relevant technologies to support our customers," Mr Supparat said.

Demand in Indochina

Mr Supparat said Thailand has a huge opportunity to not only contribute domestically, but hopefully to compete at a regional level.

"We identify three major markets, with the first a regional hub where Singapore and Malaysia will continue to serve as central hubs for the region," he said.The second market is Indonesia, with its large population of 283 million, representing significant economic potential, said Mr Supparat.

The third market is Indochina. Thailand has a unique opportunity to compete effectively in the region and take a lead, particularly with neighbouring countries like Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar.

"To capitalise on these opportunities, we must ensure several key elements are in places for Thailand to thrive. First, we've demonstrated that we meet the right standards and can attract hyperscale cloud providers to the country," said Mr Supparat.

Additionally, STT GDC has successfully supported AI-related customers, he said. As this business expands, the company expects to see increasing interest from other customers looking to enter Thailand's market.

"Our goal is to position Thailand as a leading digital infrastructure hub for Indochina, fostering growth and innovation," said Mr Supparat.

He praised the government's policy of supporting the development of digital infrastructure and urged the government to go beyond the policy and look at the future use cases of AI.

He said the nation can leverage AI to enhance the value of existing Electric Vehicles (EVs) and related infrastructure, as well as the domestic use of EVs by turning them into Autonomous Eehicles (AVs), particularly for use in the logistics industry.

"By integrating AI technologies into the EVs, we can instigate a domestic AI use case that ensure a sustainable digital future," he said.

Billion-baht journey

Mr Supparat said STT GDC takes great pride in its customer-centric approach."Our global presence is supported by data centres spanning from the United Kingdom to Japan. What makes the Thai team particularly proud is that the data centre we’re currently operating has been built from the ground up," he said.

"With the wisdom of our board and shareholders for the right timing, we have successfully grown this business from zero to 1 billion baht in a remarkably short time, surpassing the industry standard," said Mr Supparat.

"Not only have we established a strong revenue base, but more importantly, we have also attracted a diverse range of clients, including Cloud and AI providers."This diversification has made the company's Ebitda positive within four years since operations, growing faster than the five-year industry average.

Mr Supparat believes this success reflects the confidence the customers have with STT GDC and reflects the tremendous growth potential of Thailand’s data centre market.

Customer-centric Approach

"From a business perspective, we explore various strategies beyond just competition. My team and I spend about 80% of our time engaging with customers," Mr Supparat said.

He said building a data centre involves delivering operations based on specific standards and service-level agreements or SLAs, but what truly sets the company apart is its deep understanding of customers' key aspirations and our commitment to go above and beyond their expectations.

"We focus on how to make them successful. Because of this commitment, we’re not overly concerned about new data centre operators entering the market," said Mr Supparat.

"We firmly believe we truly grasp our customers’ goals and definitions of success. By working closely with them, we aim to grow both the industry and our businesses together," he said.

Timing is key

In the data centre industry, trust is paramount, which also brings significant risks, said Mr Supparat.

"Our biggest focus is on timing; we invest considerable time in understanding our customers' needs," he said. "It’s crucial to determine the right moment to build. If we start too early, we face financial risks, and if we wait too long, we might miss customer requirements."

Making the right decision to build at the right time is the key success factor in this business, said Mr Supparat.

"I’m proud to say that, thanks to the vision of our board and shareholders, we have done just that," he said.

"We feel that we have the right understanding of our customers for the right timing to build and operate effectively and therefore capture the business opportunities for a win-win scenario for customers, shareholders, and obviously for our employees."

He said the company fosters a flat, high-performance culture where employees are encouraged to carry out multi-tasks and take responsibilities.

"This approach boosts productivity, enhances returns for our employees, and helps control operational costs, making it a key factor in our success," said Mr Supparat.

Data centres are typically constructed in one year. Effective supply chain management with technology suppliers is crucial for accelerating the time to market and mitigating the impacts of geopolitical risks and supply shortages, he said.

Future is bright

The AI economy is accelerating, which benefits the country, STT GDC Thailand, customers and shareholders, said Mr Supparat.

"The business outlook for data centres is very positive — indeed, quite bright. This optimism stems from the growth of the AI economy. We anticipate that new customers will enter in Thailand as part of this expansion," he said.

The AI economy is here to stay and is accelerating rapidly, benefiting the country through various use cases and innovations that support key sectors such as agriculture, automotive, and healthcare, said Mr Supparat.

Despite the emergence of new cloud data centre providers, the industry is unlikely to experience oversupply due to rising demand driven by innovative AI applications, he said.

"We're confident that the positive outlook for the AI sector will continue over the next few years. We don't expect the AI boom to slow down anytime soon, which means we will keep growing and elevating the industry," he said.