SE Asia Stocks-Thai shares up on hopes of easing political crisis

BANGKOK, March 17 (Reuters) - Thai shares posted modest

gains on Monday, helped by selective buying in dividend-yielding

stocks such as Advanced Info Service as investors

cautiously added risk positions on expectations of a possible

lifting of the emergency.

The SET index ended up 0.36 percent with shares of

Advanced Info climbing 1.9 percent and closing at their day's

high. Airports of Thailand rose 0.8 percent, rebounding

from earlier losses due to profit-taking.

Traders expect some developments this week that could ease

the political crisis, including a cabinet meeting on Tuesday

expected to end the imposition of emergency and a court hearing

on Wednesday on the February election.

Stocks in Singapore and Malaysia were

cautiously higher in line with broader Asian stock markets

, with tensions in Ukraine still weighing on

sentiment.

DBS Group Holdings, Singapore's No.4 stock by

value, posted its first gain in seven sessions, rising 1.1

percent following its planned acquisition of Societe Generale's

private banking business in Asia.

Philippine stocks end slightly higher, reversing

early losses, helped by positive data on January remittances

from Filipinos overseas and the World Bank's upbeat view on the

country's economy this year.

Vietnam rose after state media reported that the

central bank would cut key rates this week, while Indonesia

pared early gains amid profit-taking in banking shares

such as Bank Rakyat Indonesia.

Indonesia has risen 22 percent so far this year in U.S.

dollar terms and is Asia's best performer, according to Thomson

Reuters data.

It rallied on Friday after main opposition PDI-P party named

Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo as its presidential candidate, and

investors were hopeful the election for parliament in April and

the presidential vote in July would run smoothly.

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SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS

Change on day

Market Current Prev Close Pct Move

TR SE Asia Index* 407.16 405.14 +0.50

Singapore 3092.14 3073.72 +0.60

Kuala Lumpur 1815.16 1805.12 +0.56

Bangkok 1377.10 1372.18 +0.36

Jakarta 4876.19 4878.64 -0.05

Manila 6399.99 6391.24 +0.14

Ho Chi Minh 600.36 596.83 +0.59

Change on year (local currency)

Market Current End 2013 Pct Move

TR SE Asia Index* 407.16 388.37 +4.84

Singapore 3092.14 3167.43 -2.38

Kuala Lumpur 1815.16 1866.96 -2.77

Bangkok 1377.10 1298.71 +6.04

Jakarta 4876.19 4274.18 +14.08

Manila 6399.99 5889.83 +8.66

Ho Chi Minh 600.36 504.63 +18.97

* The Thomson Reuters South East Asia Index is a

highly representative indicator of stocks listed in Indonesia,

Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Stock Market Volume (shares)

Market Current Volume Average Volume 30 days

Singapore 176,008,200 233,540,173

Kuala Lumpur 108,928,900 129,804,840

Bangkok 5,896,724 5,928,220

Jakarta 6,862,476,100 3,817,956,697

Manila 80,692 81,164

Ho Chi Minh 170,181 141,113