Thai stocks set to start 2010 with energy-led gains

BANGKOK, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Thai stocks are expected to open
higher on Monday, with oil and coal firms supported by rising
world fuel prices, while a positive outlook should help push up
the petrochemical sector .SETPT, analysts said.

However, uncertainties over the suspension of some
activities at the country's biggest industrial estate over
health and environmental concerns would continue to weigh on
sentiment, they said.

"Buying of energy firms should nudge the market up today,
despite lingering concerns about Map Ta Phut. There will be
bargains to be had if the index edges down to the level of 733
and 725," said Sukit Udomsirikul, head of research at Siam City
Securities, seeing those levels as support points.

Resistance on the main index .SETI was put at 740.

The benchmark SET index ended 2009 with a 1.0 percent fall
to 734.54 last Wednesday. Bangkok was Southeast Asia's
third-best performer and Asia's seventh-best performer in 2009.

Click [TH/TRADING01] for cumulative trading value by
investor type. ----------------------MARKET SNAPSHOT @ 0059 GMT
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INSTRUMENT LAST PCT CHG NET CHG
S&P 500 .SPX 1115.1 -1% -11.320
USD/JPY JPY= 92.87 -0.14% -0.130
10-YR US TSY YLD US10YT=RR 3.8604 -- 0.024
SPOT GOLD XAU= 1094.75 -0.15% -1.600
US CRUDE CLc1 79.96 0.76% 0.610
DOW JONES .DJI 10428.05 -1.14% -120.46
ASIA ADRS .BKAS 127.69 -0.20% -0.26
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MARKET SUMMARY > NYMEX-Oil rises, Russia halts oil to Belarus
plants [O/R] > US STOCKS-Wall St closes out '09 with best
gain since 2003[.N] > Dollar rises vs yen on U.S. optimism,
year-end buying [USD/] > TREASURIES-Bond prices fall on weekly
jobless claims data[US/] > PRECIOUS-Gold wavers near $1,095 in
cautious trade [GOL/]

STOCKS AND FACTORS TO WATCH

- PTT Chemical PTTC.BK

The company will defer maintenance at its 461,000 tonnes
per year (tpy) ethane cracker by about two months to February,
while it holds trial runs at its new 1 million tpy cracker, its
CEO said. [ID:SGE5BU03L]

- Thailand's consumer prices likely jumped by 3.6 percent
in December from a year earlier after annual rises of 1.9
percent in November and 0.4 percent in October, but they may
not accelerate much further in coming months. The figures are
published on Monday. [ID:nSGE5BS036]

- For the Thai press digest click on [PRESS/TH]

- For Thailand's IPO diary click on <TH/IPOMENU>

- For Thailand's stock exchange news click on [TH-SET]

- For Thailand corporate earnings: [TH-RES-RTRS]

- For Thailand economic forecast: [POLL-ECI-TH-RTRS]
($1=33.32 Baht)
(Reporting by Arada Kultawanich; Editing by Alan Raybould)