Palm | Kelapa Sawit

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Major Southeast Asian stock markets gained on Monday as U.S. jobs data fuelled recovery hopes, while optimism about the outlook for casinos and big spenders boosted buying of Asia's top casino operator.

Stronger-than-expected U.S. non-farm payrolls gave an early boost to regional sentiment, while gains in Chinese shares were also supportive, dealers said.

Singapore's Straits Times Index <.FTSTI> rose 0.8 percent to its highest since Aug. 31 while Malaysia's FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI <.KLSE> ended up 1 percent at its highest since Aug. 14.

Malaysia-listed Genting , Asia's largest casino operator by market share, climbed 4.8 percent as the stock was seen as a cheaper option for exposure to its Singapore casino business than its unit Genting Singapore . Genting Singapore was up 4.5 percent at S$1.17.

Elsewhere, Indonesia's index <.JKSE> rose 0.8 percent to its highest since Sept. 1 and Thailand's index <.SETI> jumped nearly 2 percent to its highest since Aug. 29, 2008.

FCPO-JAKARTA, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Malaysian crude palm oil futures dropped 3.1 percent to the lowest level in nearly six weeks on Monday, extending a losing streak to five straight sessions amid worries over rising output, traders said.

The benchmark November contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivative Exchange settled down 67 ringgit at 2,130 ringgit ($606.32) a tonne, a level unseen since July 29. Overall volume was 16,030 lots of 25 tonnes each.

Thomas Mielke, head of German oilseeds research group Oilworld, said Malaysian palm oil futures, which often draw strength from the U.S. soybean market, may be well supported by low stocks of the tropical oil and dry weather hitting yields.