Southeast Asia Stocks: Down, Thai shares reel

BANGKOK: Most Southeast Asian stocks retreated on Friday, along with weakness in broader Asia, with Thai shares hitting a fresh 16-month closing low as domestic political protests escalated. 
    The Thai SET index ended down 0.5 percent at
1,224.62, recouping some of its earlier losses amid
short-covering in large-caps such as Advanced Info Service
 and Kasikornbank.
    It was down 5.7 percent on the week, the worst since August
2013 and Southeast Asia's worst performer.
    Concerns over a possible delay in the Feb. 2 election and
active short-selling helped spur Thursday's sell-off when the
index plunged more than 5 percent.
    Anti-government protesters have planned mass rallies to shut
down Bangkok on Jan. 13, calling for political reform before the
polls while the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against
Dictatorship would stage a mass rally to counter the planned
anti-government demonstrations.  
    Stocks in Singapore ended nine sessions of gains,
falling 1.4 percent on the day and 0.6 percent on the week,
while Malaysia lost 1 percent to a near two-week low,
with a weekly loss of 1.4 percent, its first in seven weeks.
    Vietnam inched up 0.2 percent as real-estate stocks
gained after the central bank cut home loan rates, with a weekly
loss of 0.2 percent. 
    Indonesia slid 1.6 percent to a one-week closing low
while the Philippines was down 0.6 percent, both ending
the week around 1 percent higher.
    
SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS
 Change on day
 Market             Current     Prev Close    Pct Move
 TR SE Asia Index*   379.67        383.33       -0.96
 Singapore          3131.47       3174.65       -1.36
 Kuala Lumpur       1834.74       1852.95       -0.98
 Bangkok            1224.62       1230.77       -0.50
 Jakarta            4257.66       4327.27       -1.61
 Manila             5947.93       5984.26       -0.61
 Ho Chi Minh         505.37        504.51       +0.17
 
 Change on year
 Market             Current       End 2013    Pct Move
 TR SE Asia Index*   379.67        388.37       -2.24
 Singapore          3131.47       3167.43       -1.14
 Kuala Lumpur       1834.74       1866.96       -1.73
 Bangkok            1224.62       1298.71       -5.70
 Jakarta            4257.66       4274.18       -0.39
 Manila             5947.93       5889.83       +0.99
 Ho Chi Minh         505.37        504.63       +0.15
 
* The Thomson Reuters South East Asia Index               is a
highly representative indicator of stocks listed in Indonesia,
Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
    
 Stock Market Volume (shares)
 Market          Current Volume    Average Volume 30 days
 Singapore         133,084,900          190,505,640      
 Kuala Lumpur       96,226,900          110,109,077      
 
 Bangkok             5,265,556            5,322,809      
 Jakarta         2,186,911,500        2,946,130,917    
 Manila                 74,931               71,601    

 Ho Chi Minh            55,600               92,815- Reuters-