EM ASIA FX-Most Asian currencies slip as dollar edges off 3-year lows

(Adds text, updates prices)

By Patturaja Murugaboopathy

Jan 18 (Reuters) - Most Asian currencies weakened on

Thursday, with the dollar gaining after European Central Bank

officials voiced concerns about euro strength and Apple Inc

said it planned to repatriate billions of dollars to

the United States.

The dollar index against a basket of six major currencies

was up 0.3 percent at 90.840, getting some respite after

slipping to three-year lows.

The euro nursed losses on Thursday, after slipping

overnight on ECB policymaker Ewald Nowotny's comments the euro's

recent strength against the dollar is "not helpful".

Apple said it would open a new campus as part of a

five-year, $30 billion U.S. investment plan and would make about

$38 billion in one-time tax payments on its overseas cash, one

of the largest corporate spending plans announced since the

passage of a tax cut signed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

"Repatriated earnings from overseas to the U.S. should lend

a boost to the dollar, but the jolt is likely to be a one-off

factor amid a broader downtrend." a Maybank report said on

Thursday.

Sean Yokota, head of Asia strategy at Skandinaviska Enskilda

Banken, said investors were taking profits in Asian currencies

after their strong gains against the dollar this year and

expected this trend to continue over the next month.

The Malaysian ringgit, this year's biggest gainer

against the dollar in the region, fell 0.1 percent on the day.

The South Korean won also declined after its

central bank kept interest rates unchanged on Thursday.

The central bank upgraded its 2018 growth forecast but

flagged concerns about economic uncertainties and soft

inflation, which remain hurdles to policy tightening this year.

China's yuan eased after the central bank set

lower guidance for the first time in six trading days.

Bucking the trend, the Thai baht edged up,

bolstered by foreign buying. Exchange data showed foreigners

bought about $70 million in Thai equities and $338 million in

its debt markets on Wednesday.

Investors were awaiting the release of China's

fourth-quarter and 2017 gross domestic product data, and also

December factor output, retail sales and fixed-asset investment

data at 0700 GMT.

The following table shows rates for Asian currencies against

the dollar at 0522 GMT.

CURRENCIES VS U.S. DOLLAR

Change as of

0522 GMT

Currency Latest Previous Pct Move

bid day

Japan yen 111.17 111.28 +0.10

0

Sing dlr 1.323 1.3244 +0.08

Taiwan dlr 29.563 29.560 -0.01

Korean won 1070.7 1069.3 -0.13

00

Baht 31.880 31.94 +0.19

Peso 50.775 50.705 -0.14

Rupiah 13353.

13355 +0.01

000

Rupee 63.805 63.88 +0.12

Ringgit 3.956 3.952 -0.10

Yuan 6.438 6.4335 -0.06

Change so far in

2018

Currency Latest End 2017 Pct Move

bid

Japan yen 111.17 112.67 +1.35

0

Sing dlr 1.323 1.3373 +1.06

Taiwan dlr 29.563 29.848 +0.96

Korean won 1070.7 1070.50 -0.02

00

Baht 31.880 32.58 +2.20

Peso 50.775 49.93 -1.66

Rupiah 13353.

13565 +1.59

000

Rupee 63.805 63.87 +0.10

Ringgit 3.956 4.0440 +2.22

Yuan 6.438 6.5069 +1.08

(Reporting by Patturaja Murugaboopathy in Bengaluru; Editing by

Jacqueline Wong)