State enterprise National Telecom (NT) and the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) have signed a grant agreement to support a feasibility study for the new Thailand-US international submarine cable system, aiming to strengthen Thailand’s position as a regional digital connectivity hub.
The move is also aimed at supporting growing demand for international bandwidth, driven by the continued expansion of data centres, cloud services, artificial intelligence (AI) and other data-intensive digital technologies in Thailand and across the region.
It is also intended to replace an existing submarine cable route connecting Thailand with the US that is approaching the end of its operational life.
NT president Col Sanpachai Huvanandana and Thomas Hardy, deputy director and chief operating officer of USTDA, recently signed the agreement at NT’s headquarters in Bangkok, with Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaichanok Chidchob presiding.
The study is expected to finish by the first quarter next year, Col Sanpachai said.
The study is being supported by a grant from USTDA, which views the project as mutually beneficial for American business interests in the region.
Under the agreement, USTDA will provide grant funding for NT to undertake the feasibility study.
NT has selected the US-based telecommunications consultancy APTelecom LLC to conduct the study, covering the project’s technical, commercial and other relevant dimensions.
The study will assess the technical and commercial feasibility of the new system and provide information for NT’s investment decision, including the required budget, cable route and investment structure.
This trans-Pacific system is expected to connect Thailand with the US via five Southeast Asian countries – Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam – creating a new high-capacity international connectivity route between Southeast Asia and the US.
Col Sanpachai said the project comes as Thailand positions itself to attract more investment in digital infrastructure and data centres.
‘Reliable, high-capacity international connectivity is increasingly regarded as a key requirement for data centre operators, cloud providers and AI-related businesses considering investment in the region,’ Col Sanpachai said.
He said several of Thailand’s existing 10 international submarine cables are approaching the end of their operational lifespans within the next 2-3 years. Building a new subsea cable typically requires a four-year lead time.
Currently, Thailand lags behind regional neighbours in terms of international subsea infrastructure. Singapore and Malaysia possess approximately three times Thailand’s international cable capacity.
‘We need a comprehensive plan to ensure we can compete as a digital hub without relying solely on state funds, provided the project is commercially viable and attracts consortium partners,’ he said.
The proposed Thailand-US cable is estimated to cost several billion baht.
NT plans to attract co-investors from neighbouring countries, potentially including partners from Japan and China, to form a consortium to invest in the proposed cable system.
The US-funded study also includes market research and outreach to potential international operators, effectively acting as a preliminary ‘roadshow’ for the project.
Col Sanpachai is scheduled to attend the Submarine Networks World event in Singapore later this month to announce the plan for the proposed system to the global industry.
‘We want the world to know that Thailand is moving forward with this initiative,’ he said.