A victory is crucial for Thailand to secure a place in Division 1 next time. The Thai team rested their main players against top seed China and fancied Malaysia to keep them fresh in matches against rivals with whom the Kingdom have an even chance of winning.

However, things did not go according to their plan as, in a dramatic turnaround, England stunned Malaysia 3-2 in the Group A match.

Thailand, who lost to title-holders China on Monday, and to Malaysia on Tuesday, have a must-win match against the English.

If the Thais end up at the bottom of the group after the round-robin matches end, they will have to fight with a team such as Hong Kong, who are likely to finish fourth in Group B, in the play-off. The losers will be automatically relegated to Division 2.

On Tuesday, Thailand lost 3-2 to Malaysia in their second match.