Most Southeast Asian markets closed higher on Thursday, tracking regional peers, as markets shrugged off the impact of Britain's stunning vote to leave the European Union. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up 1.5 percent at 0900 GMT, pulling further away from a one-month low hit on Friday. The index has dropped about 0.8 percent in the April-June quarter.
Singapore shares rose 1.7 percent, helped by consumer service providers. The index posted its biggest intra-day percentage gain since October 2011. United Overseas Bank gained 2.6 percent after the city-state's number 3 lender suspended its loans programme for London properties in the wake of Brexit.
The Singapore index has shed 1.5 percent during the first half of the year. Vietnam's benchmark index hit a 11-month high during the session, led by healthcare shares, before closing up 0.3 percent. Dhg Pharmaceutical Joint-Stock Co gained 4.6 percent. The Philippine index erased early gains of as much as 2.3 percent to end marginally lower.