Gulf Energy CEO Sarath Ratanavadi (left) and Google Cloud Asia Pacific vice president Karan Bajwa.
Billionaire Sarath Ratanavadi’s Gulf Energy is stepping up digital infrastructure investments as it partners with Alphabet’s Google to build artificial intelligence-powered cloud facilities in Thailand.
Through the partnership, Gulf Energy said its unit Gulf Edge will become Google’s first Thai partner to offer Google Distributed Cloud (GDC) services in the country. The duo also plans to develop additional services within the Google Cloud ecosystem, including potential future ventures into AI and cybersecurity solutions.
“This will allow our mission-critical energy and utility systems to handle data-intensive tasks with enhanced security and resilience,” Sarath, CEO of Gulf Energy, said in a statement. “The successful delivery of GDC in Thailand is a strategic imperative, as its adoption across regulated industries will not only boost our country’s digital competitiveness but also create new revenue opportunities for our company.”
Sarath—whose flagship company Gulf Energy (one of Thailand’s largest electricity producers) took a controlling interest in AIS and its parent InTouch in 2021—has been diversifying into telecommunications and digital businesses, including the establishment of a cryptocurrency exchange in partnership with billionaire Chanpeng Zhao’s Binance. Recently, the company said it will spend an additional 10 billion baht ($271 million) to double its data center capacity to 50 megawatts by March next year.
“Looking ahead, we’re eager to expand our partnership with Google Cloud, especially in areas where there are synergies between their technologies and our core competencies, to advance the growth of our business in Thailand and abroad,” Sarath said.
With a net worth of $11.3 billion, Sarath ranked No. 5 in the Forbes list of Thailand’s 50 richest that was published in July 2023.