Thongchai Jaidee says he is looking forward to getting underway in Malaysia and mounting a serious challenge for the Maybank Championship.

The European Tour event at Royal Selangor GC starts on Thursday and there will definitely be a new champion crowned at the end of the week with 2015 winner Anirban Lahiri not competing in the tournament.

Jaidee is one player in the field hoping to lift the trophy in Kuala Lumpur but the 46-year-old heads into the competition on the back of a poor showing in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

The Lopburi-born star missed the cut after rounds of 70 and 74 but he has managed to record some good results this season, tieing for third at the BMW Masters and ending up joint-ninth in the Nedbank Golf Challenge.

Jaidee will be hoping his experience proves crucial as he bids to win for an eighth time on the European Tour, with the last triumph coming at the Porsche European Open back in September last year.

The world number 33 shot eight birdies in the Pro-Am in the lead up to the tournament and he is ready to get his challenge up and running.

“I’m very excited to see the golf course. It is in fantastic shape. It is an old golf course with a lot of big trees and you have to keep the ball in play,” he said. “It is nice to be playing in a new event. There are a lot of strong players this week and it feels nice to be here.”

Jaidee is a 29.00 chance to win the Maybank Championship, while England’s Danny Willett is the 11.00 favourite ahead of Joost Luiten, Louis Oosthuizen and Martin Kaymer, who are all a 17.00 shot.