However, many other Thai players were less fortunate and saw their challenges nipped in the bud.

World No 4-ranked Sudket and Saralee defeated Chen Hung-ling and Chou Chia-chi of Taiwan 21-12 21-19 in the second round and next take on Chinese world No 9s Xie Zhong-bo and Zhang Ya-wen.

The Thai and Taiwanese pairs had a 3-2 win-loss record in their five meetings with the Thais emerging winners in their latest encounter, the quarter-finals of the World Championships in Spain last month.

Thailand's Songpol Anukrittayawan and Kunchala Voravichitchaikul suffered an early exit, losing to Xu Chen and Zhao Ting-ting of China 21-18 17-21 21-17.

In the men's singles third round, local ace Boonsak Ponsana went down to Indonesian arch-rival Hidayat Taufik 16-21 21-16 21-12 for the fourth time in a row.

Countryman Poompat Sapkulchananart lost 13-21 21-14 21-14 to Chinese Chen Yu, the 2006 Thailand Open winner.

Compatriots Sudket and Patapol Ngernsrisuk fell to Malaysian Koo Kien-keat and Chan Chong-ming 21-17 18-21 23-21 in the men's doubles first round.

Thai duo Songpol Anukritayawan and Nattapon Nakthong also lost to Zhang Wei and Sun Jun-jie from China 21-15 21-10 in the second round.

Three Thai women crashed out in the women's singles first round: Salakjit Ponsana went down to Wong Mew-choo of Malaysia 13-21 21-19 21-14.

Monthila Meemek had no answer to Japanese Eriko Hirose 21-7 21-14, while Soratja Chansrisukot lost to Wang Yi-han from China 16-21 21-8 21-19.

In the women's doubles, Thailand's Kunchala Voravichitchaikul and Duang-Anong Aroonkesorn fell to Japanese Kumiko Ogura and Reiko Shiota 21-17 21-19 in the first round.

Fellow countrywomen Soratja and Monthila were routed 21-8 21-11 by Chinese Zhang Dan and Zhao Ting-ting in the second round.

Compatriots Saralee and Sathinee Chankrachangwong were upset by Wang Xiao-li and Ma Jin of China 16-21 21-13 21-18 in another second round match.