EMERGING MARKETS-Thai baht dips on suspected c.bank intervention; stocks up on vaccine boost

* Graphic: World FX rates http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh
* Graphic: Foreign flows into Asian stocks https://tmsnrt.rs/3lKhL5I
* Philippine shares hit near 9-month high
* Singapore stocks gain ahead of PM's national address
* S.Korea lags as surging COVID-19 cases dent sentiment

By Shriya Ramakrishnan
Dec 14 (Reuters) - The Thai baht hovered around the key
30-per-dollar level on Monday with traders reporting suspected
intervention by the central bank, while most Asian stock markets
rose on hopes for a vaccine-linked economic recovery.
The baht THB=TH , which resumed trade after an extended
weekend, inched down 0.1% to 30.07 against the dollar, and
stayed around those levels, which Thai exporters have urged the
central bank to preserve to maintain competitiveness.
Last week, Thailand's central bank stepped in to slow
volatility in the currency so it would not affect economic
recovery, after the baht had strengthened to a one-year high of
29 baht per U.S. dollar. "When we look at the price action and the amount of FX
reserves the Bank of Thailand has been accumulating on a trend
basis, it would suggest they are amassing U.S. dollars in an
attempt to try to slow down the downside of USD/THB," said
Kobsidthi Silpachai, head of capital markets research at
Kasikornbank.
"The impetus behind strengthening of the baht continues to
be the fundamentals of the current account surplus. The only
thing which would probably throw a wrench in the works would be
a COVID-19 outbreak as we had in March."
In equity markets, Singapore's FTSE Straits Times Index
.STI jumped 1.5% to lead regional gains and the Singapore
dollar SGD= firmed, ahead of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's
national address on the COVID-19 situation in the city state.
Government officials have previously said further easing of
COVID-19 curbs was possible by the end of the year, with only a
handful of local cases reported in recent weeks.
Indonesian stocks .JKSE also gained 1%, with investors
looking ahead to the release of November trade figures on
Tuesday for Southeast Asia's largest economy.
A Reuters poll expects Indonesia to report another sizable
trade surplus for last month. In the Philippines, the peso PHP= advanced 0.2% and stocks
.PSI climbed to their highest since Feb. 21, as the central
bank raised its projections for current account and balance of
payments surpluses this year and in 2021. South Korea's KOSPI .KS11 lagged its peers for the day and
the won KRW=KFTC traded flat to lower on concerns over surging
domestic coronavirus cases.
South Korea ordered schools to close from Tuesday in the
capital Seoul and surrounding areas, as the country which had
initial success in controlling COVID-19, now battles a harsh
third wave of infections. ** Indonesian 10-year benchmark yields are down 6.5 basis
points at 6.117%
** Top gainers on the Singapore STI .STI include Keppel
Corporation Ltd KPLM.SI up 3.1% at S$5.32, Comfortdelgro
Corporation Ltd CMDG.SI up 3.03% at S$1.7, SATS Ltd SATS.SI
up ​2.43% at S$4.21
** In the Philippines, top index gainers are Security Bank
Corp SECB.PS up 7.17% at 147.9 peso, LT Group Inc LTG.PS up
4.63% at 14 peso, Robinsons Land Corp RLC.PS up ​3.66% at 21.2
peso

Asia stock indexes and
currencies at 0424 GMT
COUNTRY FX RIC FX FX YTD INDEX STOCKS STOCKS
DAILY % DAILY YTD %
% %
Japan JPY= +0.02 +4.44 .N225 0.56 13.30
China CNY=CFXS +0.11 +6.48 .SSEC 0.40 10.18
India INR=IN 0.00 -3.08 .NSEI 0.45 11.56
Indonesia IDR= -0.07 -1.42 .JKSE 1.02 -4.77
Malaysia MYR= +0.05 +1.01 .KLSE 0.51 6.57
Philippines PHP= +0.15 +5.43 .PSI 0.72 -6.61
S.Korea KRW=KFTC -0.04 +6.02 .KS11 0.10 26.17
Singapore SGD= +0.14 +0.75 .STI 1.47 -11.16
Taiwan TWD=TP +1.00 +6.92 .TWII -0.27 18.56
Thailand THB=TH -0.07 -0.53 .SETI -0.09 -6.24