Thai stocks dip 0.36 pct after capital controls end

BANGKOK, March 3 (Reuters) - Thai stocks opened slightly lower on Monday as significant falls on other Asian markets outweighed optimisim generated by an end to capital controls.

At 0303 GMT, the main stock index .SETI was down 0.24 percent at 843.77 points after falling to 842.74 points shortly after the open, led down by Bangkok Bank BBL.BK and PTT Chemical PTTC.BK.

Thailand lifted capital controls, imposed in late 2006, on Monday. The central banks says they will be replaced by measures to make the baht more accessible to foreigners and encouraging capital outflows.

See [ID:nBKK95644] and [ID:nBKK166813] for full story ($1=31.53 Baht) (Reporting by Viparat Jantraprap; Editing by Michael Battye)