World record holder requalifies for professional snooker tour after match-fixing controversy and ban

Thirapongpaiboon defeated Bai Langning, 4-1, on Monday at the Kiatthada Billiards Snooker Club in Bangkok to secure a two-year ticket for the World Snooker Tour, and a return to the sport’s top-flight for the first time in over a decade.

The annual Asia-Oceania Q School is open to amateur players from those continents and provides a direct pathway to snooker’s big time. Two tournaments are held - one after the other - with the finalists of both (the winners from the ‘semi-finals’) each earning promotion to the pro ranks.

In the Thai capital city over the past several days, Thirapongpaiboon navigated five rounds to graduate.

'TT' struck a century break in each of his first two victories over Hrithik Jain (India) 4-1 and Qadeer Abbas Qadeer (Pakistan) 4-0.

In the last 16 he fashioned runs of 102, 50, 93 and 89 in defeating Zulfiqar Abdul Qadir (Pakistan) 4-1 - Qadar himself had a 131 - before scoring 65 and 103 in a 4-3 deciding frame success over India's Digvijay Kadian.

At the final hurdle against fellow ex-professional Bai, Thirapongpaiboon established a 2-0 lead with the help of breaks of 91 and 68 before later getting across the line with change to spare.

From world record 147 to match-fixing ban

Thirapongpaiboon will not be a new name for most professional snooker fans, although he may be for new followers.

A few months after missing out on the Asian under-21 title via a deciding frame in the final, Thirapongpaiboon turned professional for the first time during the 2010/11 campaign.

During his rookie season, Thirapongpaiboon broke the world record for being the youngest-ever player to compile a maximum 147 break in professional competition, when aged 16 years and 312 days he completed the feat of green baize perfection at a Euro Tour event being held in Germany during a match against Barry Hawkins; an accolade he still holds today.

Back when only one-year tour cards were issued, Thirapongpaiboon fell off the pro circuit, but regained his stripes for the 2012/13 term after defeating Thai compatriot Noppon Saengkham in the final of the 2011 World Under-21 Snooker Championship that was held in Montreal, Canada.

With a career-high world ranking of 67, Thirapongpaiboon didn’t make a big impact on the professional snooker tour during his time on it, with last 32 outcomes at the 2011 German Masters and 2013 Indian Open representing his best results.

Over six years on from his last outing on the pro tour - a German Masters qualifying match against Mark Williams near the end of 2015 - Thirapongpaiboon attempted to requalify for the big time by entering the inaugural Asia-Oceania Q School edition in 2022.

The Thai ace won five matches - defeating fellow countryman Dechawat Poomjaeng at the final hurdle - to seemingly regain his professional tour card.

However, controversy arose as to whether he should have been allowed at Q School in the first place, with his ticket to World Snooker Tour subsequently blocked by the sport's governing body the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association who cited "serious disciplinary matters from when Thanawat was previously a professional player in 2015.”

Having previously had a match of his investigated during the 2013/14 season because of unusual betting patterns, in September 2022 the WPBSA charged Thirapongpaiboon for fixing six matches on the World Snooker Tour between 2013 to 2015.

Thirapongpaiboon - who admitted to the offences and cooperated with the investigation - was later found guilty of manipulating the outcome of those matches and banned until March 2025.

At the time, WPBSA Chairman Jason Ferguson said: "This case shows that if a player chooses to fix a match they will be caught, no matter how long after the event."

Following the expiration of his ban last year, Thirapongpaiboon entered the 2025 Q School but fell two wins short of a pro tour return. However, he can now celebrate requalifying for the top tier.

The 2026/27 professional season begins next month in England with the qualifying rounds for the reignited China Open, and the Wuhan Open, as well as the opening phase of the Championship League Ranking Event.

China’s Deng earns maiden pro stripes

Set to join Thirapongpaiboon on next season's pro tour is China's Deng Haohui who claimed the second WST card on offer at event one of this year's Asia-Oceania Q School.

The 23-year-old can now prepare for his debut on the professional circuit, lining up alongside a strong, and seemingly growing contingent from his home country.

Deng's qualification journey nearly ended at the first hurdle, though, as he needed to claim the final two frames in order to get past compatriot Jiaxing Ren, 4-3.

He then eliminated Thitiphong Choolasak (Thailand) 4-0, Muhammad Ahsan (Pakistan) 4-2, and Mubashir Raza (Pakistan) 4-2 to set up a final round meeting with Iran's Amir Sarkhosh who was trying to immediately bounce back to the top-flight having been relegated from it just weeks ago.

Deng deposited the opening frame before doubling his lead despite Sarkhosh making a 53 earlier in it.

He then made it 3-0, winning the third frame by a single point with a counter clearance of 67.

Sarkhosh got on the board with the fourth, but Deng completed the job done and realised a dream in the next as he registered a 4-1 victory and opened access for himself to the professional circuit.

Earlier this year, Deng won the Asian Snooker Championship in Qatar where he ousted Sarkhosh in the last four before a win over Pankaj Advani in the final.

The second and final event of this year’s Asia-Oceania Q School runs from May 20-24.