SINGAPORE, Aug 7: South East Asian currencies ended steady in Singapore trade as the market waited for fresh factors to emerge while trying to digest an IMF rescue plan for the Inai economy, dealers said, reports AFP.

The US dollar ended lower at 30.80 Thai baht compared to 31.70 at yesterday's close after the Thai cabinet approved painful measures stipulated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The Malaysian ringgit ended off its lows against the greenback while the Indonesian rupiah strengthened.

The baht appreciated a bit because at this stage, nobody would like to be caught short on baht while they wait for the package to be implemented." said a dealer with a European finance house.

Analyst David Cohen at MMS International, a unit of US credit-rating agency Standard and Poor's, said the market continued to evaluate the implications of the IMF package.

He said the announcement of cabinet approval for the package, including a credit line of 12-to-15 billion dollars aimed at reviving Thailand's ailing economy, had no Immediate impact on the foreign-exchange market.

But analysts have predicted that the baht, which has fallen by as much as 29 per cent against the greenback since its de facto devaluation on July 2. could weaken by another 10 per cent as the measures prescribed by the IMF take effect.

The operations of another 42 finance companies have been suspended on top of 16 closed at the end of June, the Thai government announced Tuesday, at the same time as it announced

higher taxes and promised to curb spending as part of the IMF deal.

Regional currencies have been under pressure from speculators since the Thai baht's devaluation raised the exchangerate risk profile of all of South-East Asia.

The bath's weakness has been setting the lead for other regional currencies.

"The market is playing within a range. It is awaiting fresh factors? said Ishak Ismail. a market intelligence analyst at British finance house IDEA. i

He said the dollar's "topside" against the baht was for the moment limited at 31.50 and the "downside" at 30.7p.

Ismail said the>85reign exchange market had failed to react immediately to the IMF announcement mainly because it had already factored in the conditions that accompanied the rescue plan.

Against other South East Asian currencies, the dollar rose to around 2.6410 Malaysian ringgit in intra-day trading here from 2.6330 at the previous day's close, and fell a shade to 2,589 Indonesian rupiah from 2,595, dealers said.

It ended the day at 2.6345 Malaysian ringgit, which benefited from dollar-selling by British houses, and 2,585 Indonesian rupiah, they said.

The greenback ended at 1.4710 Singapore dollars from Tuesday's finish of 1.4665.

Ismail said the ringgit was initially under pressure following news that Malaysia had posted a trade deficit of 2.8 billion ringgit in June, reversing a surplus in the previous month.

Market talk that Indonesia may follow a Malaysian example and impose capital controls strengthened the rupiah.