SINGAPORE -- Investors increased their short bets on the South Korean won, Malaysian ringgit and Indian rupee against the US dollar in August, betting the latter would get a boost from the relative strength of the US economy, a Reuters poll showed Monday.

Market players were picky in Asia, choosing to be short on currencies such as the Singapore dollar and the Philippine peso, whose economies are exposed to a global downturn, the poll showed.

At the same time, investors stayed neutral on currencies backed by central banks perceived to be more hawkish, such as the high-yielding Indonesian rupiah, the poll showed.

The twice-monthly survey asked 10 currency strategists to estimate how the market is positioned in seven Asian currencies against the US dollar.

The survey measures estimates of the net long or short position in a currency on a scale of minus 3 to plus 3. A score of plus 3 indicates the market is significantly long on dollars.

The findings were:

SOUTH KOREAN WON
The average positioning was plus 2.5 compared with plus 1.6 in the previous poll, indicating investors have become more bearish on the won. The latest estimates ranged between plus 1 and plus 3.

SINGAPORE DOLLAR
The average positioning was plus 1.05 compared with plus 1.00 in the previous poll, suggesting market players remained short on the Singapore dollar through August. The scores ranged between minus 3 and plus 3.

INDONESIAN RUPIAH
The average positioning was plus 0.15 compared with plus 0.2 previously, implying investors are almost neutral on the rupiah. Scores ranged from minus 1 to plus 1.

TAIWAN DOLLAR
The average score was plus 1.25 compared with plus 1.3 in the previous poll, suggesting investors have not changed their light, short bets on the Taiwan currency. Scores ranged from minus 1 to plus 3.

INDIAN RUPEE
The average score was plus 1.65 compared with plus 1.2 previously, implying investors have increased their short rupee positions. The scores ranged from zero to plus 2.5.

MALAYSIAN RINGGIT
The average positioning was plus 2.2 compared with plus 1.5 in the previous poll, indicating investors have become more bearish on the ringgit. Scores ranged from plus 1 to plus 3.

PHILIPPINE PESO
The average positioning was plus 1.80 against plus 1.4 in the previous poll, implying investors have slightly increased their short positions on the peso. Scores ranged from zero to plus 3.