SE Asia Stocks-Major markets up; Thai index rises on rate view

* Interest rate outlook pushes Thai stocks to day's high

* Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia recover from recent falls

* Philippine, Vietnamese markets buck trend

By Viparat Jantraprap

BANGKOK, June 19 (Reuters) - Major Southeast Asian stock
markets rose on Friday as index heavyweights attracted bargain
hunters, with Singapore ending a six-day fall and Thai stocks
up after interest rate comments from the Bank of Thailand.

Markets in the region tracked improving sentiment elsewhere
in Asia as U.S. factory and jobs data provided more evidence
that the global economy was starting to recover from its deep
recession. [nSP451335]

Analysts said recent sell-offs in Southeast Asian stocks
had led to cheaply valued shares but investors were still
looking for fresh reasons to buy.

A U.S. Federal Reserve policy meeting next week may provide
such a trigger, with signals on the economy.

"Without a fresh trigger, including some direction from the
Fed next week, stock markets are likely to be volatile," said
Anubhon Sriaj, head of research at BFIT Securities.

In Bangkok, the Thai index .SETI jumped more than 3
percent, albeit in declining turnover of about $440 million,
erasing part of its 9.6 percent loss of the previous four days.

Bank of Thailand Governor Tarisa Watanagase told Reuters in
an interview the central bank was ready to cut interest rates
again if needed and was not worried about any resurgence in
inflation. [ID:nBKK459106]

Bangkok Bank BBL.BK gained 5 percent, while Bank of
Ayudhya BAY.BK and CIMB Thai CIMBT.BK each rose more than 3
percent.

Oil CLc1, which rose back towards $72 a barrel on Friday,
boosted energy shares. PTT PTT.BK, the biggest oil firm, rose
4 percent, while its oil subsidiary PTT Exploration PTTE.BK
climbed 4.3 percent.

Singapore's Straits Times Index .FTSTI rose 1.6 percent,
erasing part of a more than 6 percent loss over the previous
six days, with CapitaLand (CATL.SI) rising 1.4 percent and
Noble Group (NOBG.SI) surging 9.6 percent.

Fitch Ratings affirmed Noble Group's long-term foreign
currency issuer default rating and senior unsecured rating at
'BBB-', with the outlook stable.

But Keppel Land (KLAN.SI), Singapore's third-largest
developer, dipped 0.5 percent after BNP Paribas downgraded its
stock to "reduce" from "buy" after the shares rose strongly
from March.

Malaysia's index .KLSE gained 0.5 percent after a
three-day fall of 3.4 percent, with Telekom Malaysia (TLMM.KL)
climbing 2.6 percent, top lender Malayan Banking (MBBM.KL)
rising 0.9 percent and CIMB BUCM.KL 3.4 percent higher.

Among Southeast Asia stock indices, Malaysia suffered the
smallest fall of 2.8 percent on the week, followed by a 4.4
percent drop in Singapore.

The Indonesian index .JKSE was up 2 percent on Friday,
ending a 6.8 percent fall over the previous four days, pushed
up by a 4 percent surge in Astra International (ASII.JK) and a
7.5 percent gain in top lender Bank Mandiri (BMRI.JK).

The Philippines and Vietnam bucked the trend.

Manila .PSI fell for a fourth day, ending down 1.5
percent, with top developer Ayala Land (ALI.PS) off 2.4
percent. Vietnam .VNI fell 0.9 percent after a two-day rise,
with Petrovietnam Finance Joint Stock Corp PVF.HM 5 percent
lower.
($1=34.14 Baht)
(Editing by Alan Raybould)