The playing partners, who started the day trailing by one, posted matching three-under-par 68s to seize a one-shot advantage over local amateur Natthaphat Harnchokchaiskul with their three-day total of 10-under-par 203s at the Thai Country Club.

The 41-year-old Chawrasia, playing in only his fifth start on Tour this season, is chasing for his seventh victory while Martin, 35, is eyeing a breakthrough on the region’s premier Tour. The last foreigner to win the Kingdom’s National Open is Korea’s K.T. Kim in 2015.

Describing the third round as a battle, Martin posted birdies at holes 4, 5, 7 and 14 and a lone bogey at the par-4 10^th to move into contention ahead of the final round.

“I like to hit little cuts, and today I just seemed to have a few holes where it was on the left side and I had to try to do the opposite to what I like to see,” Martin said.

“I had a lot of into the grain shots on the fairways which make it hard to control. But on 18, everything was perfect for me. So overall, it was alright, just had to think a bit more over some shots out there.”

Following numerous strong performances on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia in recent months, Martin will this week aim to secure his Asian Tour card for the 2020 season.

“The greens are perfect. You just got to give yourself opportunities out there. Putting is probably one of my strengths, so just give myself opportunities and hopefully hole some putts. I have been playing a lot lately and I think they help my game which has been trending the right way,” he said.

“The first tee shot will be key for me tomorrow. I would love to be an Asian Tour winner. Especially in Thailand, I love coming back here. I love playing here at the Thai Country Club too. It was my first time here last year and I was excited to be back this year.”

Increasing winds provided a challenge for the field in the third round however Martin believes the Thai Country Club layout could provide the perfect hunting ground for a maiden Asian Tour victory.

“It was a little bit of breeze, I have struggled to get the ones that are into, well I think they are out of the left but they are swinging back into, so then I just don’t trust it. Today wasn’t as good as the first two days but I still managed to shoot a good score,” he said.

“The course kind of suits my game. I’m not a long hitter but I think you’ve just got to be on the fairway because that rough can be quite brutal. Trying to judge it, and then with the wind, like you get one out of the rough downwind, it can go for miles.”

Despite slipping out of the lead for the first time this week, Natthaphat held his head high after registering a second straight 70 as he stays on track to become the first amateur winner on the Asian Tour since 2009 at the US$300,000 event.

Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai and American John Catlin carded identical 69s to settle three shots off the pace in fourth place with young Thai Suradit Yongcharoenchai (70), who secured his maiden Asian Tour win in Chinese Taipei last month.

The Thailand Open marks the start of the Asian Tour’s 2019/20 Panasonic Swing, which is a ranking based on an aggregate point race that spans five events with the final top-three players chasing a share of a lucrative bonus pool.