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The veteran, who won this event in 2005, fired a six-under-par 66 to open up a three shot lead over compatriot Chawalit Plaphol and defending champion Michael Hendry from New Zealand.
Chawalit shot 65 while Hendry came in with 69 at Damai Indah Golf - Pantai Indah Kapuk Course.
It was an excellent day for golfers from Thailand as Wisut Artjanwat also moved into contention with a 67 to lie a stroke further back. He is tied with Indonesia’s Rory Hie, Kim Felton from Australia, and Korean Han Chang-won.
Thaworn has a three round total of 14-under-par 202 in the seventh event of the season on OneAsia.
“It was a great result but it was hard work at times because I had some trouble with my driver. I was hitting it fine on the driving range but on the front nine I started hooking it. I didn’t know what to do so I corrected it by working on a slight cut for the rest of the round. I am mentally exhausted,” said Thaworn.
He made an eagle, five birdies and dropped just one shot. Despite some shaky tee shots he toured the front nine in five-under-par 31. He then took a firm grip of the tournament with birdies on 11 and 13 but made his only bogey on 15.
“I was quite lucky today but that’s golf. I have a great chance to win. It would mean a lot to me to win on OneAsia. My goal is to win on as many Tours as possible,” added Thaworn, who is 44.
Thaworn won this event in 2005 at Cengkareng Golf Club, during a season when he tasted victory four times en route to becoming Asia’s number one.
“The weather here is very similar to Thailand so I always enjoy playing here and tend to play well,” he said.
He also made an impression on the leader board in last year’s Indonesia Open presented by Enjoy Jakarta finishing in a tie for fifth place at the same venue.
The Thai star has an incredible haul of 14 tournament victories in the region.
Chawalit shot the lowest round of the day and the joint lowest round of the week so far. He didn’t drop a shot and made five birdies going out and two on the return side.
The 36 year old burst back to prominence after a period in the doldrums with victory in the Queen’s Cup on home soil last month, his first big win since lifting the Bangkok Airways Open in 2006.
“I knew I could shoot a low round on this course. I made some mistakes on the first two days but today I had no problems. I have a very good chance tomorrow. I just need to play my own game,” said Chawalit.
The Thai star first signaled his return to peak form last year when he claimed two titles on the ASEAN PGA Tour.
Hendry took the title by seven shots in 2010 but for much of the day it looked like the 31 year old’s chances were slipping away. He played the front nine in one over while others were storming up the leader board making birdie after birdie.
However, he rallied over the latter stages and birdied the 13th and then made birdie on the last three holes.
“Yesterday my putting was really poor and today my driving was really bad. I have quite a bit of work to do on the range but I still have a great chance,” said Hendry.
Hie is bidding to become only the second Indonesian to win his national Open after former caddie Kasiadi triumphed in 1989.
The 22 year old dropped his only shot of the day on the par-four 18th but is in a very strong position.
“I couldn’t ask for a lot more. There is everything to play for tomorrow. It’s very close with a lot of players in with a chance. It is exactly where I want to be,” said Hie.
He finished second in the Indonesian PGA Championship in March, which was the season opening event on OneAsia, and will no doubt use that experience to prevail tomorrow.
Han, the 19 year old who won this year’s OneAsia Qualifying School, made a disappointing double bogey on the last.
He said: “I couldn’t concentrate today. I hit a bad shot and I lost my tempo and confidence after that. I will just try to calm down for tomorrow’s game. I am not expecting to win. I will go to the driving range later, fix my tempo, and just try to do my best tomorrow.”
China’s Liang Wenchong, the reigning OneAsia Order of Merit champion, fired a 71. He finished runner-up here last year and is five under for the tournament nine behind the leader.
Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat carded the same score and is tied with Liang.
Leading third round scores:
(Par 72)
202 -Thaworn Wiratchant (THA) 68 68 66
205 - Chawalit Plaphol (THA) 72 68 65, Michael Hendry (NZL) 65 71 69
206 - Wisut Artjanawat (THA) 70 69 67, Kim Felton (AUS) 68 70 68, Rory Hie (INA) 68 70 68, Han Chang-won (KOR) 68 67 71
207 - Choi Jin-ho (KOR) 71 69 67
208 - Michael Wright (AUS) 69 67 72
210 - John Huh (USA) 73 70 67, Gareth Paddison (NZL) 70 73 67, David Bransdon (AUS) 67 75 68, Bronson La'Cassie (AUS) 7072 68, Choi Joon-woo (KOR) 70 7070, Stephen Allan (AUS) 71 69 70
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