SE Asia Stocks - Mostly weaker; Thailand near 3-mth low

March 26 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets were

down on Thursday, with Thailand hovering near its three-month

low hit on Tuesday, as escalating tensions in the Middle East

and losses on Wall Street dented investor sentiment.

Risk appetite was hit from news Saudi Arabia and its Gulf

Arab allies had launched air strikes in Yemen against Houthi

fighters who have tightened their grip on the southern city of

Aden.

Thailand's SET index had lost 0.1 percent by midday,

led by financials.

Indonesia's Jakarta Composite Index was down 0.1

percent, Malaysian stock index traded marginally lower,

and Vietnam's benchmark VN Index eased 0.4 percent, led

by blue-chips including energy stocks.

Weakness in regional currencies with Malaysia's ringgit

and Indonesia's rupiah down on corporate

dollar demand, also weighed on stocks.

The Philippine peso eased ahead of the central

bank's policy meeting later in the day when the authority is

expected to keep interest rates unchanged. The Philippine stock

index recovered from early losses and had gained 0.3

percent by midday.

Singapore's key stock index outperformed other

markets in the region with a 0.5 percent gain.

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SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS

Change at 0632 GMT

Market Current Prev Close Pct Move

Singapore 3435.79 3419.02 +0.49

Kuala Lumpur 1818.57 1819.10 -0.03

Bangkok 1510.86 1512.80 -0.13

Jakarta 5402.91 5405.49 -0.05

Manila 7856.07 7836.34 +0.25

Ho Chi Minh 558.94 560.93 -0.35

(Reporting by Shihar Aneez in COLOMBO; Editing by Subhranshu

Sahu)