Northern Ireland's Michael Hoey opened with an eight-under-par 64 and led in the first day of Thailand Classic in Hua Hin on Thursday.

The five-time European Tour winner pulled off eight birdies and a bogey-free in the morning to finish one shot ahead of Asian Tour Order of Merit champion David Lipsky, Chinese Taipei's Hung Chien-yao and Spain's Carlos Pigem.

Thailand Classic was the first one to be co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour in Thailand in eight years.

"We had 10 or 11 holes with not much wind, which was an advantage teeing off early," he said.

"I'm swinging the club nicely so hopefully I'll put three more good rounds together and see what happens," he added.