SE Asia Stocks-Thailand leads declines as most trade flat to lower

* Thai shares drop as much as 0.9 pct

* Vietnam hits over 7-week high

* Singapore shares hit by China concerns

By Ambar Warrick

Feb 11 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stocks traded flat

to lower ahead of China and the United States resuming their

trade negotiations, with Thailand leading declines amid domestic

political turmoil.

The Thai index fell 0.7 percent. The Thai King Maha

Vajiralongkorn on Friday moved to block his elder sister's

surprise bid to run for prime minister in March elections.

Thailand's Election Commission is set to rule on the nomination

later in the day.

"The King effectively barred his sister, Princess Ubolratana

Rajakanya, from running for prime minister in an intervention

that will send shockwaves through the country and turmoil into

the forthcoming elections. We expect above-average volatility in

both the currency and stock markets today as the street digests

this news," said Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst at OANDA.

Losses in Thai equities were largely broad-based, with

energy and telecom stocks serving as the biggest drags. Energy

Absolute shed about 1.5 percent, while mobile services

provider Advanced Info Service dropped nearly 3

percent.

Among other regional markets, Singapore shed about

0.6 percent as financial stocks weighed. Worries over the

Chinese economy have cast a shadow over Singapore's prospects,

owing to the island nation's large electronic exports to the

country.

Lender DBS Group shed about 0.7 percent, while

United Overseas Bank lost 0.9 percent.

A U.S. delegation is set to arrive in Beijing later in the

day to recommence talks, ahead of the March 1 deadline to reach

a trade deal. China is Southeast Asia's largest trading partner,

and its trade tiff with the U.S. has exacted a heavy toll on the

region.

Vietnam shares resumed trade after a week-long

holiday and rose more than 1 percent to their highest since

mid-December. Real estate and financial stocks led broad-based

gains, with property developer Vingroup gaining 3.2

percent, while Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of

Vietnam adding 1.4 percent.

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SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS AS AT 0341 GMT

STOCK MARKETS

Change on the day

Market Current Previous close Pct Move

Singapore 3183.55 3202.04 -0.58

Bangkok 1639.9 1651.68 -0.71

Manila 8087.87 8070.89 0.21

Jakarta 6523.463 6521.663 0.03

Kuala Lumpur 1684.2 1686.52 -0.14

Ho Chi Minh 919.29 908.67 1.17

Change on year

Market Current End 2018 Pct Move

Singapore 3183.55 3068.76 3.74

Bangkok 1639.9 1563.88 4.86

Manila 8087.87 7466.02 8.33

Jakarta 6523.463 6194.498 5.31

Kuala Lumpur 1684.2 1690.58 -0.38

Ho Chi Minh 919.29 892.54 3.00

(Reporting by Ambar Warrick in Bengaluru; Editing by Shreejay

Sinha)