Busanan Ongbamrungphan bowed out in the last 16 round of the US$1 million All England Open Championships in Birmingham on Thursday.
The Thai world No.11 put up a brave fight but eventually went down to top-ranked Tai Tzu-ying 19-21, 20-22 in 46 minutes at Utilita Arena.
Busanan lost to eventual champion Nozomi Okuhara in the women's singles quarter-finals last year.
Two-time winner Tai next faces the winner of the match between Japan's Okuhara and China's Han Yue.
Men's singles hope Kunlavut Vitidsarn, who claimed his first World Tour title in Germany on Sunday, was due to face seventh seed Jonatan Christie of Indonesia in a late match.
Mixed doubles stars Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai and women's doubles pair Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai were also in action later.
In the other early women's singles last-16 matches, both seeded players progressed to the last eight.
No.4 seed An Se-Young of South Korea defeated Kirsty Gilmour of Scotland 21-17, 21-16 while No.8 seed He Bingjiao of China overcame a slow start to beat Clara Azurmendi of Spain 16-21, 21-6, 21-9. An will face either Canada's Michelle Li or Iris Wang of the US while He will meet either third seeds Chen Yufei of China or Julie Dawall Jakobsen of Denmark.
In the men's doubles event, Marcus Gideon and Kevin Sukamuljo fought back to beat Akira Koga and Taichi Saito 15-21, 21-18, 21-18.
The Indonesians will face either Mark Lamsfuss and Marvin Seidel of Germany or Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chiraq Shetty of India for a place in the semi-finals.
Fellow Indonesians Muhammad Shohibul Fikri and Bagas Maulana joined the top-seeded pair in the last eight after their upset win over eighth seeds Ong yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi of Malaysia 24-22, 13-21, 21-17.