Categories: Social Media News

Thailand approves $29 billion of investment projects, led by $25 billion from TikTok

A panoramic view of Bangkok showcasing high-rise buildings under a clear blue sky. (Photo: 123RF)

Thailand has approved ​six major projects ‌worth a combined 958 billion baht, or US$29 billion, the Board of Investment (BOI) reported on Wednesday.

The approvals include a ​large-scale ⁠data infrastructure expansion by a local unit of TikTok valued at 842 ‌billion baht, or about $25 billion, the board said in a statement.

“The project will ⁠install additional servers and expand data storage and processing infrastructure across Bangkok, Samut Prakan and Chachoengsao, supporting rising demand for digital services ​and strengthening Thailand’s role in regional digital infrastructure,” the BOI ​said ‌in a statement.

Last year, TikTok had said it would ​invest $8.8 ⁠billion in data centres over five years. TikTok is ⁠owned by China’s ByteDance.

“Beyond its core infrastructure investment, TikTok has also committed to developing digital ⁠literacy and e-commerce curricula to help ​create new business opportunities for Thai entrepreneurs and strengthen the country’s digital workforce,” the BOI added.

TikTok is a global short-video and social commerce platform, which has more than 2 billion users worldwide, including 368 million in Southeast Asia and more than 15 million business users.

TikTok established its Thai entity, TikTok Technologies Co, as a regional operating office in 2021 when the company received BOI investment promotion for its international business centre operations.

Last week, the BOI reported a surge in investment applications in the first quarter of 2026, with proposals exceeding 1 trillion baht — a 2.4-fold increase year-on-year, driven by mega-projects in the digital and electronics sectors aligned with growth in artificial intelligence (AI).

The ByteDance logo is seen in this illustration (File photo: Reuters)

Social Media Asia Editor

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