Thailand’s state-owned National Telecom (NT) has submitted a proposal to the Finance Ministry for a THB16.1 billion (US$480 million) project to construct four new international subsea cables.
The initiative aims to strengthen Thailand’s digital infrastructure, connecting the nation directly to Singapore, Japan, and Europe to meet surging data demands.
The proposal, reported by Developing Telecoms, outlines an ambitious expansion of Thailand’s connectivity backbone. NT intends to allocate THB6.6 billion for two cable systems to Singapore, THB4 billion for a link to Europe, and THB5.5 billion for a single system connecting to Japan. These cables are intended to replace aging infrastructure and accommodate the traffic growth driven by AI, cloud computing, and hyperscale data centers.
NT is seeking to fund this project through an emergency decree approved by the Thai Cabinet in May. This decree authorized the Finance Ministry to borrow up to THB400 billion, primarily to offset rising energy costs and support sector restructuring. While the decree was initially designed to assist farmers, SMEs, and middle-income earners, NT argues that the cable project is essential to strengthen long-term energy and digital security.
| Destination | Allocation (THB) |
|---|---|
| Singapore (Two Systems) | 6.6 Billion |
| Japan (One System) | 5.5 Billion |
| Europe (One System) | 4.0 Billion |
| Total | 16.1 Billion |
The project remains in its infancy. NT has yet to conduct formal feasibility studies or site surveys, and the proposal requires further government and environmental approvals. The company aims to form a consortium and complete site surveys by the end of 2026, with an international tender for a turnkey contract expected early next year.
This proposal follows a separate initiative launched by NT in September to link Thailand with the United States via Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam. That project is currently being studied by APTelecom with financial support from the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA).
By increasing international bandwidth, NT expects to provide a stable network for Thai startups and researchers working in fields such as telemedicine, fintech, and autonomous vehicle development. The goal is to ensure that Thailand’s competitiveness does not stagnate as global data traffic continues to accelerate.
