Thailand's cabinet approved a new national policy committee (Aug 5) to oversee data center investments with stricter criteria balancing national benefit, energy/water efficiency, and environmental protection. BOI will tighten its approval framework accordingly. The move addresses rapid growth concerns while positioning Thailand for AI development—AWS and Google already operate cloud regions here and are training Thai talent (AWS: 23,000+ students in 50 provinces; Google: 100,000+ SMEs and individuals trained). The goal is strategic selectivity: neither blanket rejection nor unconditioned approval, but attracting the right investments that serve Thailand's digital economy and workforce.