TikTok invests record US$25b to expand digital infrastructure in Thailand

TikTok is investing US$25 billion in data infrastructure projects in Thailand, the company’s biggest investment announced to date in Southeast Asia, as China’s technology giants continue expanding their footprint in the region.

The investment would be used to install additional servers and expand data storage and processing infrastructure across Bangkok, Samut Prakan and Chachoengsao provinces to support rising demand for digital services, according to an announcement by Thailand’s Board of Investment on Wednesday.

The company, owner of the short video platform of the same name, also committed to “developing digital literacy and e-commerce curricula to help create new business opportunities” for Thai entrepreneurs and the workforce, according to the statement.

TikTok’s investment marked a massive increase from its initial plan announced last year, allocating US$8.8 billion over the next five years to digital infrastructure.

It was also the largest of six projects totalling US$29 billion approved by the Thai government on Wednesday.