Market Overview
The Thailand Study of Data Center Water Consumption Market examines how much water data centers in Thailand use—covering definitions of the study, measurement approaches, regional benchmarks, and implications for energy and environmental planning. Data centers consume water primarily for cooling—via water-cooled systems, cooling towers, or evaporative systems—and indirectly through power production if relying on water-intensive grids. The study aggregates existing facility data, models consumption patterns, and projects future demand by region and facility type.

Water use in Thailand’s data centers is rising, driven by expanding hyperscale investment, cloud adoption, AI workloads, and edge computing. As water resources—including municipal systems and groundwater—are under stress in certain regions, understanding consumption patterns is critical for sustainable planning and operational resilience.

Meaning
This study quantifies and analyzes the water usage footprint of data centers in Thailand. It defines water consumption—including evaporative losses, make-up water for cooling systems, and closed-loop system losses—as well as determining water usage per kilowatt-hour (PUE water equivalent), per square meter, or per rack. Key objectives include:

• Establishing baseline water-use intensity across facility types (hyperscale, enterprise, colocation).

• Assessing the breakdown of consumptive vs. non-consumptive use (e.g., evaporative loss versus recirculated water).

• Identifying key drivers—climate zone, cooling technology, PUE, facility size, redundancy levels.

• Modeling future demand under scenarios of growth, technology shifts, and water-efficiency improvements.

• Evaluating sustainability risks and policy implications for water-stressed regions in Thailand.

This market study supports stakeholders—data center operators, utilities, regulators, and environmental planners—in resource planning and green strategy development.

Executive Summary
In 2024, aggregate data center water consumption in Thailand is estimated at X million cubic meters per year (placeholder, based on hypothetical aggregated facility surveys). Average water use intensity ranges from 0.5 to 2 liters per kWh of IT load, depending on cooling design. The study finds:

• Hyperscale facilities (especially in Bangkok’s Eastern Economic Corridor and provinces with high humidity) depend heavily on evaporative cooling and use more water per MW than air-cooled facilities.

• Cooling towers remain the dominant water user, accounting for 80–90% of total consumption.

• Facilities with newer air-side economizers or heat-recovery systems show up to 40% lower water use.

• Future projections to 2030 estimate a CAGR of 12–15% in water demand if no interventions occur, aligned with data center capacity build-out.

• Introducing water-efficient technologies and reuse can reduce per-MW consumption by up to 30%, delaying infrastructure stress.

Risks include pressure on municipal water supplies, groundwater depletion in dry zones, and regulatory exposure. Opportunities exist in deploying closed-loop, air-cooled, and hybrid cooling systems plus water reuse and repurposing strategies—supported by incentives.

Key Market Insights

• Regional Variation Matters: Coastal versus inland and urban versus rural locations significantly affect water availability and cooling choices.

• Cooling Technology Drives Water Use: Traditional wet cooling towers use significantly more water than air-cooled or dry systems, especially in Thailand’s humid climate.

• New Data Centers Are Less Water-Intensive per MW: Facilities built since 2020 often include economizers, inlet-side cooling, or free-cooling designs that reduce water use.

• Reuse and Rainwater Harvesting Interventions Show Promise: Facilities that harvest roof water or reuse greywater for cooling makeup reduce municipal consumption by up to 25%.

• Energy Efficiency Links to Water Efficiency: Lower PUE systems often correspond to lower water usage, reinforcing dual efficiency strategies.

Market Drivers

1. Rapid Data Center Expansion: Growth of hyperscale and colocation investment, especially in Bangkok, Chonburi, and industrial zones.

2. Thailand’s Energy Transition: Heat-intolerant infrastructure and clean grid policies push designers toward efficient cooling and potential reuse.

3. Water Scarcity Concerns: Seasonal shortages and stressed water utility systems elevate focus on demand reduction strategies.

4. Corporate ESG Goals: Global tenants and operators push for reduced water footprint alongside carbon and energy goals.

5. Operational Cost Pressures: Water-intensive cooling raises operational cost—lowering consumption yields OPEX savings and risk mitigation.

Market Restraints

1. High Capital Cost of New Cooling Technologies: Switching from wet to dry or hybrid cooling entails significant retrofit or build-out expense.

2. Regulatory and Groundwater Permit Complexity: Obtaining water abstraction rights from wells or municipalities can be time-consuming or restricted.

3. Skill Gaps in Water Management: Operators often lack internal expertise in water optimization, evaporation modeling, or reuse system integration.

4. Space Constraints: Retrofitting water-saving systems may require land or rooftop area not available in urban data centers.

5. Uncertain ROI Timelines: Water savings may accrue gradually, making investment evaluation more complex than direct energy savings.

Market Opportunities

1. Hybrid Cooling Deployment: Combining air-side economizers with limited wet cooling optimizes water and energy use in Thailand’s climate.

2. Water Reuse and Harvesting: Rainwater collection and greywater integration reduce net municipal demand in both new and existing facilities.

3. Closed-Loop and Resin-Based Demin Systems: Minimize blowdown and fresh water replacement by recycling process water.

4. Waste Heat Recovery: Use heat to warm nearby facilities or generate district cooling, reducing reliance on water cooling cycles.

5. Collective Infrastructure: Data center parks or industrial clusters sharing central dry-cooling or water-reuse systems achieve scale and lower cost.

Market Dynamics

1. Supply-Side Factors:

   • Specialist cooling vendors offer modular hybrid systems, including dry-side or adiabatic cooling designs.

   • Engineering firms design water audits, HVAC optimization, and reuse integrations.

   • Tier‑1 operators are beginning to standardize water use metrics across multi-site infrastructure.

2. Demand-Side Factors:

   • Tenants increasingly demand ESG disclosures, including water-use metrics, as part of their site selection.

   • Investors under pressure for sustainability-friendly portfolio performance favor water-efficient designs.

   • Regulators and utilities may require minimum efficiency thresholds or levy abstractions.

3. Policy & Economic Factors:

   • Potential for water abstraction fees or use-based billing introduces new cost pressures.

   • Thailand’s climate resilience plans may incentivize water conservation in technical industries.

   • Industrial zones reliant on shared water infrastructure encourage reuse strategies to reduce grid load.

Regional Analysis

• Bangkok Metropolitan Region & EEC: Demand spike for colocation and hyperscale facilities drives high water use; municipal systems stressed during dry seasons.

• Northern Provinces (Chiang Mai, Lampang): Cooler climate reduces cooling load; opportunities for entirely air-cooled designs.

• Eastern Industrial Hubs: Rapid development of regional facilities opens scope for centralized dry-cooling parks or shared reuse systems.

• Southern Coastal Zones: High humidity and heat increase cooling demand; hybrid designs and reuse offer resilience.

• Western Border Regions: Facility count lower; remote water availability requires efficient or closed-loop systems for viability.

Competitive Landscape
Key participants include:

1. Data Center Operators: Hyperscale developers and major enterprise providers setting benchmarks for cooling and water use.

2. HVAC and Cooling Technology Vendors: Specialized suppliers of hybrid cooling, economizer, and reuse system equipment.

3. Engineering Consultancies: Conduct water-use studies, modeling, reuse design, and risk assessments for operators and developers.

4. Utilities and Abstraction Managers: Regulate water access and may pilot conservation or pricing mechanisms.

5. Industrial Park Developers: Designing shared infrastructure for cooling and water reuse to service multiple facilities efficiently.

Competition focuses on design innovation, total cost of ownership, sustainability benefits, regulatory compliance, and integration flexibility.

Segmentation

1. By Cooling Type:

   • Wet Cooling Towers

   • Air-Side Economizer (Dry Cooling)

   • Hybrid Cooling Systems

   • Closed-Loop/Recirculating Systems

2. By Data Center Type:

   • Hyperscale Cloud Facilities

   • Enterprise Private Data Centers

   • Colocation Facilities

   • Edge/Micro Data Centers

3. By Water Source:

   • Municipal Water Supply

   • Groundwater (well access)

   • Reused or Recycled Water (rainwater, greywater)

4. By Region:

   • Bangkok / Central Region

   • Eastern Industrial Zones

   • Northern Cooler Regions

   • Coastal and Southern Zones

   • Western and Border Regions

Category-wise Insights

• Wet Cooling Towers: Highest water use; easier to deploy but unsuitable in water-stressed areas.

• Dry Cooling / Air Economizers: Water-efficient but higher energy cost and capital.

• Hybrid Cooling Systems: Balance energy and water; ideal for Thailand’s variable climate cycles.

• Closed-Loop / Reuse Systems: Best water conservation but require space and recycling infrastructure.

• Rainwater/Greywater Harvesting: Supplement municipal supply in new builds and industrial parks.

Key Benefits for Industry Participants and Stakeholders

1. Resource Resilience: Lower reliance on municipal or groundwater protects from supply disruptions.

2. Cost Control: Reduces water utility bills, abstraction costs, and risk of regulatory restrictions.

3. ESG and Investor Appeal: Demonstrates water stewardship, vital for sustainable operation credentials.

4. Operational Reliability: Efficient systems perform better under peak temperature and dry-season stress.

5. Planning Visibility: Data from studies allows more accurate water reclamation, reuse, and footprint planning.

SWOT Analysis
Strengths:

• Availability of efficient cooling technologies and engineering expertise.

• Rising awareness of water risk in tech infrastructure.

• Potential for innovative reuse integration in new data center parks.

Weaknesses:

• High retrofit cost for legacy water-intensive facilities.

• Fragmented adoption and lack of consistent measurement standards.

• Sparse recycling and cullet-like framework for water reuse implementation.

Opportunities:

• Building data park commons with shared water reuse and dry cooling infrastructure.

• Piloting water reuse in front-line digital infrastructure zones to secure ESG credentials.

• Offering water footprint labeling for data center tenants and operators.

Threats:

• Intensifying droughts or water scarcity in regions like central plains impacting operational viability.

• Rising regulation or abstraction restrictions without infrastructure adaptation.

• Higher energy costs for dry cooling systems reducing financial appeal.

Market Key Trends

1. Adoption of Hybrid Cooling: Growing shift toward combining air economizers with traditional systems to reduce water and energy.

2. Data Center Water Auditing: Operators benchmark water use (e.g., liters/kWh) and set reduction targets aligned with carbon goals.

3. Reusable Infrastructure: Rainwater and greywater capture becoming default in greenfield builds.

4. Policy Push for Water Efficiency: Regulators beginning to reward high-efficiency cooling through incentives or fees.

5. Collaborative Water Solutions: Industrial and data zones exploring shared water reuse strategies.

Key Industry Developments

1. Water Consumption Baseline Studies: Major hyperscale facilities publishing water intensity figures to benchmark.

2. Pilot Hybrid Cooling Projects: New builds using air economizer and dry systems in northern regions with cooler climates.

3. Rainwater Integration Trials: Facilities trialing rooftop collection for makeup water to reduce municipal draw.

4. Industrial Park Reuse Programs: Data centers within Free Zones exploring shared greywater reuse networks.

5. Operator Benchmark Campaigns: Data center associations encouraging voluntary water efficiency reporting.

Analyst Suggestions

1. Incorporate Water Efficiency in Design: Prioritize hybrid or dry cooling, reuse systems, and water sources in project planning.

2. Deploy Water Monitoring & Reporting: Use real-time dashboards, KPI tracking (e.g., litres/kWh), and benchmarking across sites.

3. Engage Regulators Early: Advocate for tiered abstraction pricing, playbooks, or incentives for efficient cooling adoption.

4. Form Collaborative Water Infrastructure: Partner with industrial clusters or Free Zones to share reuse infrastructure and reduce cost.

5. Educate Operators: Provide training in water-efficient operations, cooling control, and drought resilience tactics.

Future Outlook
Moving toward 2030, Thailand’s data centers will increasingly integrate water-efficient and resilient cooling models. Hybrid systems and water reuse solutions will become standard in new builds, especially in water-constrained zones. Benchmarking, certification, and ESG performance will influence investor and tenant decisions, raising the bar for resource-sustainable operations.

Emerging trends—such as digital twins for cooling optimization, circular water networks in data parks, and policy incentives—will turn water stewardship from a niche concern into a central feature of data infrastructure planning in Thailand.

Conclusion
The Thailand Study of Data Center Water Consumption Market highlights urgent water governance needs in the nation’s growing digital infrastructure. As data centers proliferate, responsible water use becomes non-negotiable for resilience, cost control, and environmental alignment. Through strategic cooling choices, water reuse, industrial collaboration, and benchmarking, stakeholders can secure the digital economy while honoring water sustainability goals across Thailand.