Thailand studies US drone manufacturing project amid public concerns

The Ministry of Defence insisted that the US drone manufacturing plant project in Thailand has not received government approval or entered into any binding agreement following public concerns about the plan and Thailand’s relations with the US and China.

Military correspondent Wassana Nanuam reported on August 10 that Defence Ministry Permanent Secretary Tharapong Malakham and a delegation had visited the US from August 2 to 9 to strengthen relations and increase cooperation on security and military matters.

The discussions included defence industry development, including plans to explore the construction of a drone manufacturing facility in Thailand. The reported project was described as being in line with Thailand’s military roadmap.

The report prompted concerns among military and political observers about national interests and maintaining a balanced relationship between the US and China.

Some military-focused news agencies also called on the government to clarify the roadmap and provide more details regarding the proposed drone manufacturing facility.

Defence Ministry spokesperson Surasan Kongsiri addressed the concerns today, August 13. Surasan said the permanent secretary’s visit to the US was intended to gather information, observe technology and build confidence in Thailand’s ability to develop and support low-cost unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technologies such as LUCAS.

He stressed that there is currently no agreement, binding commitment or approval to establish a US drone manufacturing plant in Thailand.

Surasan said the project remains at the study stage, with authorities examining costs and benefits as well as possible technology transfer frameworks. He said the process is intended to ensure Thailand receives maximum benefit.

The debate over the proposed drone facility follows similar public concerns about foreign investment in Thailand’s data centre industry. US technology company Microsoft announced plans to invest more than US$1 billion in data centres and cloud artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure in Thailand.

The government recently approved the establishment of a national committee to oversee data centres, citing strong interest from foreign investors.

While the government promoted the potential benefits of the industry, some members of the public have raised concerns about the resources required to operate large data centres.

Critics particularly questioned their substantial electricity and water requirements and expressed concern that data centre development could create competition for resources between foreign investors and locals.