EM ASIA FX-China stock woes hurt Asia FX, Vietnam devalues currency again

* Yuan slides as China shares extend losses

* Vietnam devalues dong for third time this year

* Ringgit around 17-year low in thin liquidity

* Baht hits 6-year trough, stock outflows at 1-1/2-year high

(Adds text, updates prices)

By Jongwoo Cheon

SINGAPORE, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Most emerging Asian currencies

eased on Wednesday, hurt by a continuing rout in China's stock

markets, while jitters grew before U.S. inflation data and

minutes of the Federal Reserve's last policy review are

published.

China shares dropped again, extending Tuesday's 6 percent

loss, as investors dumped shares across the board amid deepening

worries that the government could be phasing out its rescue

efforts. The yuan also slid, while broadly flat

official guidance checked its downside.

The Vietnamese dong fell on the unofficial market

after the country devalued the currency for the third time this

year to support exports.

Malaysian's ringgit stayed around a pre-peg 17-year

low in slow trade on weak commodity prices.

The Thai baht hit a six-year trough as foreign

investors on Tuesday reported their largest stock selling in

more than 1-1/2 years after a bomb blast on Monday.

"Tumbling Chinese stocks, along with the Fed's rate increase

expectations, could spur capital outflows further from emerging

Asia amid growing concerns over sluggish economies," said Yuna

Park, a currency and bond analyst at Dongbu Securities in Seoul.

Investors were awaiting U.S. July consumer inflation data

and minutes of the Fed's July policy meeting to gauge if the

U.S. central bank will raise interest rates as soon as next

month.

RINGGIT

The ringgit started the day firmer as the dollar

broadly eased against a basket of six major currencies on

position adjustments.

The Malaysian currency, however, turned weaker to touch

4.1075 per dollar. That compared with Friday's low of 4.1500,

its weakest since Sept 1. 1998. Malaysia pegged the ringgit at

3.8000 from September 1998 until 2005.

Crude prices resumed their slide, highlighting concerns over

export performance. Malaysia is a major supplier of natural

liquefied gas and palm oil.

Malaysia's consumer prices rose 3.3 percent in July from a

year earlier, faster than expected.

Still, thin liquidity kept investors from taking fresh

positions.

A senior Malaysian bank trader said currency trading volume

shrank to about 20 percent of past levels.

BAHT

The baht eased 0.2 percent to 35.625 per dollar, its weakest

since April 2009.

Foreign investors on Tuesday sold a net 6.9 billion baht

($193.7 million) worth of Thai shares, the largest daily selling

since December 2014.

The selloff followed the explosion in Bangkok which killed

22 people, spurring fears the attack will hurt tourism, one of

the few bright spots in the economy.

RUPIAH

The rupiah edged down as local and foreign banks sold it

amid lower government bond prices.

The Indonesian currency pared much of its earlier losses as

the central bank was spotted intervening to support the

currency, traders said.

On Tuesday, Bank Indonesia deputy governor Perry Warjiyo

said the central bank is "desperately defending" the rupiah in

the market.

The monetary authority will tighten controls on the purchase

of the dollars over the counter, said Governor Agus

Martowardojo, in a move to stabilise the second-worst performing

Asian currency so far this year.

CURRENCIES VS U.S. DOLLAR

Change on the day at 0516 GMT

Currency Latest bid Previous day Pct Move

Japan yen 124.32 124.41 +0.07

Sing dlr 1.4038 1.4035 -0.02

Taiwan dlr 32.454 32.653 +0.61

Korean won 1183.90 1185.00 +0.09

Baht 35.62 35.56 -0.17

Peso 46.34 46.36 +0.04

Rupiah 13835.00 13813.00 -0.16

Rupee 65.28 65.32 +0.05

Ringgit 4.1070 4.0890 -0.44

Yuan 6.3991 6.3938 -0.08

Change so far in 2015

Currency Latest bid End prev year Pct Move

Japan yen 124.32 119.66 -3.75

Sing dlr 1.4038 1.3260 -5.54

Taiwan dlr 32.454 31.718 -2.27

Korean won 1183.90 1099.30 -7.15

Baht 35.62 32.90 -7.64

Peso 46.34 44.72 -3.49

Rupiah 13835.00 12380.00 -10.52

Rupee 65.28 63.03 -3.45

Ringgit 4.1070 3.4965 -14.86

Yuan 6.3991 6.2040 -3.05

($1 = 35.62 baht)

(Additional reporting by IFR Markets' Catherine Tan; Editing by

Eric Meijer)