Thai

Thailand Open
Thailand Classic
Thailand Masters

World Ranking and Invitation Events

Brief History of Major Events in Thailand

Although Barry Hearn’s Matchroom organisation had organised many events in the Far East previously, including Thailand, that country’s first ranking event was named the Asian Open and it was not until 1993/4 that an event carried the Thailand name although it was in effect the same event just renamed.

James Wattana was a popular winner of that first Thailand Open, sponsored by Kloster and he won it again the following year. There were four Thailand Opens in total, all held in Bangkok but a various venues. In the meantime a second ranking event came to the country when, in 1995, the Thailand Classic took over the early season spot formally occupied by the Dubai Classic. Like the Thailand Open that season, it was sponsored by Singha but it 1996 that event was renamed Asian Classic despite the fact that it was still held in Bangkok. Results for the Asian Open and Asian Classic can be found on the Asia page.

In 1997/98 Open was again renamed, this time as the Thailand Masters, a name which had been used before for several non-ranking events. In one of these, James Wattana, then only an amateur had beaten several of the top Matchroom stars to win. At the same time the Classic was dropped altogether and the second ranking event in the Far East moved to China after a gap of one season.

Although an official maximum break has yet to be made in Thailand itself, there was one in the 1998/99 Thailand Masters by Adrian Gunnell but it came in the qualifying rounds at Plymouth.

The cash strapped World Snooker Association decided it could not afford to run the Far East events in the 2002/03 season and so the Masters was dropped (although it continues as a domestic event), along with the China Open, but it is to be hoped that this is only a temporary measure. With four Thai players on the main tour in 2002/3 it was disappointing that no further Ranking events have been held there although the Thailand Masters continues as a domestic ranking event often attracting several entries fram the main pro tour.

Roll Of Honour

Thailand Open Ranking Event

Season	Venue	Sponsor	Winner	Runner Up	Score	1st Prize
1993/4	Imperial Queens Park Hotel, Bangkok	Kloster	James Wattana	Steve Davis	9-7	£32,500
1994/5	Imperial Queens Park Hotel, Bangkok	Kloster	James Wattana	Ronnie O'Sullivan	9-6	£32,500
1995/6	Riverside Montien Hotel, Bangkok	Singha	Alan McManus	Ken Doherty	9-8	£40,000
1996/7	Century Park Hotel, Bangkok	none	Peter Ebdon	Nigel Bond	9-7	£40,000

Thailand Classic Ranking Event

Season	Venue	sponsor	Winner	Runner Up	Score	1st Prize
1995/6	Novotel, Bangkok	Singha	John Parrott	JNigel Bond	9-6	£40,000

Thailand Masters Ranking Event from 1997/8 to 2001/2

Season	Venue	sponsor	Winner	Runner Up	Score	1st Prize
1984/5*	Ambassador Hotel, Bangkok	Camus	Jimmy White	Terry Griffiths	4-3	n/a
1985/6*	Ambassador Hotel, Bangkok	Camus	Dennis Taylor	Terry Griffiths	4-3	n/a
1986/7*	Chiang Mai Plaza Hotel, Bangkok	Camus	James Wattana	Terry Griffiths	2-1	n/a
1991/2*	Bangkok	World Series	Steve Davis	Stephen Hendry	6-3	£20,000
1997/8	Imperial Queens Park Hotel, Bangkok	Beer Chang	Stephen Hendry	John Parrott	9-6	£50,000
1998/9	Ambassador Hotel, Bangkok	None	Mark J. Willaims	Alan McManus	9-7	£50,000
1999/00	Riverside Montien Hotel, Bangkok	None	Mark J. Williams	Stephen Hendry	9-5	£44,000
2000/1	Mercahant Court, Hotel, Bangkok	Blue Eagle/Thai Airways	Ken Doherty	Stephen Hendry	9-3	£44,000
2001/2	Mercahant Court, Hotel, Bangkok	Singha	Mark J. Willams	Stephen Lee	9-4	£67,500
2002/3*	National Stadium, Bangkok	none	Noppadon Noppachorn	Rom Surin	5-4	n/a
2006/7*	Grand Hotel, Hua Him	Sangsom	Marco Fu	Issara Kachaiwong	5-3	n/a

*Non Ranking Event

Maximum Breaks - Thailand Masters

Qualifying Rounds
Adrian Gunnell	1998/9	Qual. Rnd 1 v. Mario Wehrmann