Thai stocks seen rangebound, politics weigh

BANGKOK, June 23 (Reuters) - Thai stocks are expected to
trade in a narrow band on Monday, with lingering political
tensions prompting continued foreign selling but domestic funds
likely to hunt for battered blue chips, analysts said.

Prime Minister Samak Sudaravej is under pressure from
thousands of protesters demanding his resignation and faces a
censure debate in parliament with an opposition motion of
no-confidence against him and seven other ministers on Tuesday.

His spokeman said the premier would not resign and there
would be no house dissolution.[ID:nSP31259]

The main index .SETI is expected to move in a range of
770-772 points, a dealer at BT securities said.

On Friday, the benchmark SET index rose 3.56 percent to
768.90 points, recovering from its lowest close in more than
four-and-a-half months after a major anti-government rally
passed off without incident.

Click [TH/TRADING01] for cumulative trading value by
investor type.
----------------------MARKET SNAPSHOT @ 0052 GMT ------------

INSTRUMENT LAST PCT CHG NET CHG
S&P 500 .SPX 1317.93 -1.85% -24.900
USD/JPY JPY= 107.33 0.1% 0.110
10-YR US TSY YLD US10YT=RR 4.1523 -- -0.016
SPOT GOLD XAU= 904.05 0.36% 3.200
US CRUDE CLc1 135.55 0.14% 0.190
DOW JONES .DJI 11842.69 -1.83% -220.40
ASIA ADRS .BKAS 152.41 -3.64% -5.75
-------------------------------------------------------------
MARKET SUMMARY > Oil dips on Saudi assurances, Nigeria
ceasefire [O/R] > Dow closes below 12,000 on bank jitters,
oil prices[.N] > Dollar steadies after oil meeting, Fed awaited

[USD/] > Bonds up as stocks drop on banks, autos weakness
[US/] > Gold bounces on weak dollar, oil may cap gains
[GOL/]

STOCKS AND FACTORS TO WATCH

- BankThai BT.BK

Malaysia's second-largest lender, CIMB Bank, has agreed to
buy a 42 percent stake in BankThai for about 5.9 billion baht
($177 million), the Bank of Thailand said. [ID:nSP318613]

BankThai shares traded at 1.32 baht before they were halted
last Thursday, pending the outcome of the stake sale.

- Bangkok Bank BBL.BK

The country's largest lender expected its non-performing
loans to decrease to 6 percent of lending by the end of this
year, from 7.75 percent in March, helped by a debt
restructuring plan.

- Gunmen ambushed a passenger train in the far south,
killing four people in the latest attack in a four-year-old
separatist insurgency [ID:nBKK41526]

- For the Thai press digest click on [ID:nBKK165553]

- 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=33.33 Baht)
(Reporting by Arada Therdthammakun; Editing by Ed Cropley)