In March 2026, Thailand's rapid data center expansion, concentrated in the industrial Eastern Economic Corridor in Chonburi and Rayong, was alleged to create significant concerns regarding water scarcity and pollution among local communities. Residents and farmers claimed that high water consumption for cooling, coupled with a lack of transparency and community consultation on impact assessment, could exacerbate existing resource conflicts. Farmers and fishers fear they would have less water for agriculture while concerns over water pollution grow as cooling water may contain chemicals and wastewater discharge could harm ecosystems and fisheries.

Reports indicated that big tech companies including Amazon, Google, TikTok and Microsoft are investing billions of dollars in data center projects across Thailand. In Chonburi and Rayong provinces, many data centres are reportedly built by China’s Haoyang Data, Amazon, DayOne and TikTok. With significant amount of investment sets to come in for construction of new data centers in Rayong, including Galaxy Data Center’s planned 1-GW facility, Haoyang Data’s 0.3-GW site, ZData Technologies’ 0.2-GW project and a pair of facilities totaling 0.05 GW by K2 Strategic, the province is poised for a new wave of water-intensive development. At least three data centres have already existed in Rayong, including two run by Amazon and one by Planet Communications Asia."

Among controversial data center projects, QHI01 facility is being developed by Bridge Data Centres with water is reportedly supplied by Thailand’s Eastwater Stecon Utilities Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of engineering firm Stecon Group.

In March 2026, Business and Human Rights Centre invited Beijing Haoyang Cloud&Data Technology Co Ltd; Beijing Hoyinn Technology Co Ltd; CNISP Group Co Ltd; TikTok; DayOne; Amazon; Bridge Data Centres; Bain Capital; Stecon Group; Microsoft; K2 Strategic; Planet Communications Asia to respond to allegations, except companies having already provided the responses in the article.

Beijing Hoyinn Technology and Microsoft responded but other did not. Bridge Data Centres could not be reached. If companies wish to provide responses, the page will be updated accordingly.