Thailand’s data center IT load capacity is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of roughly 59% between 2026 and 2028, placing it among the fastest-growing markets in Southeast Asia, according to Kasikorn Research Center. In early 2026, the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) approved seven large-scale data center projects in a single batch, with combined investment of THB 96.88 billion (about USD 3.1 billion). The approvals are led by hyperscale cloud projects from the likes of TikTok, Global Switch, Skyline and Evolution, with TikTok’s Thailand project alone accounting for a particularly large investment.

2026 is also the year optical communications manufacturers scale up production in Thailand in earnest. A number of companies have expanded capacity by 2–10x across Thailand, Vietnam and other locations, spanning optical cable manufacturing, optical components and optical modules — most notably high-speed optical modules, high-density components and MPO connectors. According to a filing by Innolight with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Thailand has become the key production base for 800G/1.6T high-end optical modules: shipments have fully covered North American customer orders since Q2 2026, and the company continues to expand toward a total capacity of roughly 700,000 units per month. Eoptolink, for its part, brought Phase I into production in 2023 and Phase II in early 2025. It has accelerated capacity expansion through 2026 on the way to full production and keeps building new plants to fulfill orders from 2027 onward, making it a cornerstone of the overseas capacity build-out.

Taken together, 2026 marks a breakout window for AI computing infrastructure in Thailand. Hyperscale data centers are being rolled out at scale across the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), while the local photonics manufacturing cluster keeps expanding — on one side, surging demand for high-speed optical interconnect; on the other, a steady flow of global optical component and module capacity landing on overseas soil.

Against this backdrop, the third CFCF AP Asia-Pacific Optical Connectivity Conference will be held in Bangkok in November 2026, focused on the “twin opportunities of Thailand’s data centers and its optical communications industry” and built to connect the demand side of computing power with the photonics supply chain. The conference extends prominent invitations to the Thailand Board of Investment, data center owners, and leading photonics manufacturers including Lumentum and Fabrinet, alongside leading Chinese companies across optical modules, optical chips, FA/MT passive components, optical fiber and optical test instruments.

A number of small exhibition booths will also be set up at the conference, giving exhibitors the opportunity to showcase their offerings on site and engage in in-depth exchanges with the speakers.

Conference Highlights

1. Policy briefing on Thailand and Southeast Asia’s photonics industry: BOI investment incentives, EEC park planning, and land and labor practices.

2. New technology discussions and application progress: dedicated sessions on OCS, data center construction, and high-speed optical interconnect.

3. Building and operating plants in Southeast Asia: hands-on experience from companies already on the ground, covering capacity build-out, supply chain setup and localized operations.

4. International optical interconnect standards: the latest OIF specifications and the roadmap for next-generation optical interconnect technologies.

5. Data centers and optical networking: Southeast Asian data center trends and analysis of optical connectivity demand.

6. Industry chain matchmaking: face-to-face exchanges with local carriers, data center operators, cloud providers and local supply chain companies.

As the AI computing wave sweeps in, Thailand is both a data center stronghold for computing power and a new pivot for global photonics manufacturing. CFCF AP 2026 in Bangkok — join Asia-Pacific optical communications and data center decision-makers in shaping ASEAN’s next chapter of growth.

CFCF Asia Pacific 2026

Since its launch, the conference has drawn wide attention across the optical communications industry, with 31 companies already signed up as sponsors and exhibitors.

Conference Agenda

Day 1 — Thursday, November 5, 2026 (08:00–21:00)

Session 1: AI Data Center in Thailand — Updates, Power Demand, Policy & Regulation  (Co-host: 89 Plus Energy Co., Ltd.)

Session 2: Optical Communication — Automated Production & Manufacturing

Day 2 — Friday, November 6, 2026 (09:00–17:00)

Keynote Speech

Preparations for the CFCF AP2026 Asia-Pacific Optical Connectivity Conference are progressing in an orderly manner. We sincerely thank all our sponsors for their strong support!

Conference Sponsors

· TKD Science and Technology Co., Ltd.  (泰晶科技)

· JingDongLi Intelligent Technology (SZ) Co., Ltd.  (金动力智能科技)

· Haituo Instrument (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd.  (海拓仪器)

· Shanghai Join-MU Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd.  (上海江木智能科技)

· Wuxi Xin Giant Macro Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd.  (无锡鑫巨宏智能科技)

· EXFO Inc.

Since its launch, the conference has drawn wide attention across the optical communications industry, with 31 exhibiting companies now signed up — the full list is provided below.

Conference Exhibitors

(In no particular order)

Registration (Settlement in RMB)

· C-FOL members are entitled to 2 conference tickets per member.

· Non-member conference fee: RMB 2,000 per person (conference materials included, plus two lunches and one dinner).

Sponsorship & Promotional Opportunities

A limited number of exhibit displays, advertising and other promotional sponsorship opportunities are available at the conference. Please contact us for inquiries.

Contact Us

For conference inquiries, please reach us via the following channels. (WeChat ID is the same as the mobile number.)

Ria:   riatang@cordacord.com

Coco:  cocodeng@cordacord.com

Apple: applezuo@cordacord.com