Google Cloud has announced the launch of ‘TalayLink,’ a new undersea cable system bridging Australia and Thailand in an effort to enhance digital connectivity and resilience across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. This strategic route is expected to provide seamless global network access for upcoming data centers and cloud regions in Thailand.
Named after the Thai word for ‘sea,’ TalayLink builds on Google Cloud’s expanding interlink cable projects, marking a new phase in the Australia Connect initiative announced last year. The cable will establish an alternative path to Thailand by traversing the Indian Ocean west of the Sunda Strait, diverging from routes currently used by most existing undersea cables.
In Thailand, Google Cloud is partnering with Advanced Info Service Public Company Limited (SET: ADVANC), utilizing the southern region as a critical landing point. This partnership is designed to accelerate deployment and maximize the value of existing local infrastructure investments.
In September 2024, Google Cloud announced a $1 billion (over THB 32 billion) investment to construct a Data Center and Cloud Region in Thailand, with the goal of strengthening the country’s AI infrastructure. That project is expected to contribute over $4 billion (THB 129 billion) to Thailand’s GDP by 2029, supporting the expansion of the nation’s tech sector.
The TalayLink cable will be anchored at Mandurah, which will serve as a new landing station distinct from Perth, the current main connection hub for Western Australia. This move aims to ease network congestion and boost the stability of international digital infrastructure.
Pratthana Leelapanang, CEO of AIS, welcomed the expanded collaboration, noting that the combination of Google’s diverse new cable routes with AIS’s stable colocation capabilities positions Thailand’s digital infrastructure to effectively support national AI strategies.
Upon completion, TalayLink and its new landing stations are expected to play a vital role in enhancing network resilience not only across Australia, Africa, and Southeast Asia but also in advancing the Thai government’s goal of inclusive digital and AI-driven economic transformation.
Narit Therdsteerasukdi, Secretary General of Thailand’s Board of Investment (BOI), emphasized that TalayLink will be a key asset for the nation’s digital infrastructure, reinforcing the country’s connectivity and resilience. Together with Google’s upcoming Cloud Region and Data Center, this investment bolsters Thailand’s ambition to become a Digital Gateway for Southeast Asia and drive future innovations in cloud and AI.
Google Cloud is also collaborating with International Gateway Company (IGC), a subsidiary of ALT Telecom Public Company Limited (SET: ALT), to facilitate the new undersea cable connection in Thailand. Combined with previously announced network hubs in the Maldives and Christmas Island, these initiatives will further extend connectivity throughout the Indian Ocean and into the Middle East.
Krungsri Securities (KSS) stated that Google Cloud’s launch of the TalayLink undersea cable positions Thailand as a digital transit hub for the Asia-Pacific region. The investment not only expands international bandwidth but also enhances connection stability, speed, reduces latency, and adds redundancy, lowering risks from cable outages. This will attract global technology firms to establish data centers and cloud regions in Thailand.
Thai stocks set to benefit include data center and cloud infrastructure companies, such as GULF, ADVANC, and ITEL, due to rising international and peering connectivity revenues, alongside increased data usage and reduced costs from the direct cable route.
Industrial estate and utilities stocks, including WHA, AMATA, GULF, GPSC, and BGRIM, are likely to gain from higher demand for land and power to support new data centers, benefiting from long-term power purchase agreements. Additionally, data center construction and fiber/cooling system providers such as INSET and STECON are also poised to see growth.
Krungsri concluded that the TalayLink project is a turning point for Thailand’s digital infrastructure, elevating the country to a digital hub in Asia-Pacific, spurring new rounds of foreign direct investment in data centers, expanding revenue for telecommunications and infrastructure sectors, and boosting the nation’s credibility through enhanced network security.
