Thai player Thanawat Tirapongpaiboon has been charged with fixing six snooker matches between 2013 and 2015.
And the 28-year-old has been suspended from all activity pending a fast-tracked formal hearing of the WPBSA disciplinary committee likely to take place in the near future.
One of the matches in question is a 5-0 Shanghai Masters qualifying defeat to Scotland’s Ross Muir in August 2013. Muir is not under suspicion in any way.
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And another is the 4-2 loss to Martin O’Donnell at the Paul Hunter Classic in Furth, Germany in 2015. Again, his opponent is not implicated in any way.
Both were previously investigated but no disciplinary action was taken as there was “insufficient evidence” to take matters further.
However Tirapongpaiboon, who had not tried to get back on tour from 2016 until this year creating an almost unique ‘self-exclusion’ situation, is now co-operating fully with the probe.
The fact that the player is now fully supporting the investigation is understood to be one of the reasons why charges are being brought now, while that was not possible at or shortly after the time of the alleged breaches of the rules.
Tirapongpaiboon reached a career-high world ranking of No67 in his two spells on the tour, and twice got to the last 32 of ranking tournaments.
His most significant achievement was becoming the youngest player at 16 years and 312 days to make an official maximum break in professional competition at the 2010 Rhein-Main Masters.
It is expected that the suspension will also be upheld by the Thai snooker authorities.
Were the player to be found guilty of the full number of six charges, precedent would suggest that could lead to a very serious ban of up to 10 years.
But Tirapongpaiboon may be found innocent of one, more or all of the charges, and it is possible mitigating evidence will materialise during the course of the disciplinary hearing.
A WBSA statement read: “The WPBSA has today charged Thanawat Tirapongpaiboon with fixing the outcome of six World Snooker Tour matches between 2013 and 2015.
“His case will be heard at a formal hearing of the Independent WPBSA disciplinary committee on a date and at a venue to be confirmed.
“Jason Ferguson, the chairman of the WPBSA has taken the decision to suspend Tirapongpaiboon from competition.
“This suspension will remain in place until the conclusion of the hearing or hearings and the determination of this matter. Tirapongpaiboon is fully co-operating with the WPBSA.
“The WPBSA will not comment further until the case has been before the independent WPBSA Disciplinary Committee.
“The rules in question are: WPBSA Conduct Regulations Part 1 – Section 2 Betting Rules. Corruption:
2.1.2.1 to fix or contrive, or to be a party to any effort to fix or contrive, the result, score, progress, conduct or any other aspect of the Tour and/or any Tournament or Match.”
Tirapongpaiboon had been set to regain his professional status this season for the first time since 2016 having reached the final of the first ever Asian-Oceania qualifying school event.
He beat compatriot Dechawat Poomjaeng 4-2 in the semi-finals. Tirapongpaiboon had previously played in the circuit between 2010 and 2016, and before that for a single season in 2010-11.
But a WPBSA statement released in June confirmed a major rethink aware of the ongoing probes and what was to follow, and that a decision had been taken not to re-admit him.
It read: “After careful consideration the WPBSA board has taken the decision not to admit Thanawat Tirapongpaiboon as a member of the WPBSA.
“This decision has been taken in the best interests of the WPBSA and the sport. This means that he will be unable to take a place on the World Snooker Tour for the forthcoming season.
“This is due to outstanding serious disciplinary matters from when he was last on the World Snooker Tour in 2015. Thanawat is cooperating fully with the WPBSA to resolve the outstanding issues.
“This World Snooker Tour place will now be offered to Asjad Iqbal of Pakistan who is the next in line on the Asia/Oceania Q School Order of Merit.”
