USTDA backs direct Thailand-US submarine cable link

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has announced funding for a feasibility study to develop a trans-Pacific submarine cable system, connecting Thailand directly to the United States, with the aim of bolstering secure digital connectivity across Southeast Asia.

The grant will assist state-owned operator National Telecom Public Company Limited (NT) in assessing the viability of the Thailand-U.S. Submarine Cable System (THUS).

The proposed project is designed to replace Thailand’s aging subsea connection to the U.S. with a modern network built on trusted technology.

USTDA Deputy Director Thomas R. Hardy stated that the initiative will ensure that critical infrastructure linking the two nations protects sensitive data, while advancing Thailand’s ambition to become a regional digital hub and opening opportunities for American firms in the market.

NT has selected Florida-based APTelecom LLC to conduct the study for the proposed 11,500-mile cable system.

The assessment will examine the route design, economic feasibility, commercial strategy and regulatory framework, to help in mobilising private and institutional financing.

The THUS project is expected to route through Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam, while deliberately bypassing high-risk areas such as the South China Sea.

Operating on an open-access model, the network aims to provide fair capacity access across a regional market of more than 600 million people, supporting Thailand's expanding data centre and cloud computing industries.

Col. Sanpachai Huvanandana, president of NT, hailed the initiative as a strategic investment that will enhance network resilience and accelerate direct collaboration with leading American technology providers.