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SINGAPORE, Sep 20 (Reuters) Gold fell on Wednesday as crude oil price held near it lowest level in six months below $62 and dealers shrugged off a coup in Thailand, one of Southeast Asia's main bullion consumers.

-- Spot gold dropped to $573.50/574.25 an ounce from $576.70/578.20 late in New York on Tuesday, when it fell more than 1 percent on fund selling.

-- Thai troops seized control of Bangkok on Tuesday night, ousting Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra while he was in New York.

-- Benchmark gold futures on the Tokyo Commodity Exchange plunged by the daily 60-yen limit to 2,188 yen per gram as weakness in the energy market triggered active selling by Japanese retail investors.

-- The bullion market was likely to turn to currencies for direction ahead of an expected decision by the U.S. Federal Reserve to keep interest rates on hold for a second straight time at a policy meeting on Wednesday.

-- The dollar slipped to 117.55 yen from 117.75 yen in late U.S. trade. The euro was little changed at $1.2675 . -- Silver edged down to $10.78/10.83 an ounce from $10.80/10.87 an ounce in New York.

-- Platinum fell to $1,140/1,145 an ounce from $1,150/1,155 an ounce.

-- Palladium slipped to $304/309 an ounce from $312.50/317.50 late in New York.

Precious Metals Prices by 0044 GMT* Metal Last Net change Pct Move Gold 573.50 -1.40 -0.24 Platinum 1140.00 -10.00 -0.87 Palladium 304.00 2.00 +0.66 Silver 10.78 0.05 +0.47 Change so far in 2006 Metal Latest bid End prev year Pct Move Gold 573.50 517.20 +10.89 Platinum 1140.00 968.00 +17.77 Palladium 304.00 254.00 +19.69 Silver 10.78 8.81 +22.36 REUTERS DKS BST0714