* Gold backs off highs, but still near records

* Vietnam says will grant import licenses and quotas

* Coming up: U.S. non-farm payrolls; Oct 8, 1230 GMT

(Updates with comment, refreshes prices)

By Amanda Cooper

LONDON, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Gold slid below $1,340 an ounce in its most volatile trading day in two months on Thursday, having earlier hit a record high on investor expectations for the Federal Reserve to support flagging U.S. growth.

Spot gold XAU= was last at $1,337.75 an ounce at 1451 GMT, up from $1,345.80 late on Wednesday, but down from an all-time peak of $1,364.60 struck earlier in the day as a rebound in the dollar against the euro EUR= dented gold.

The Fed is still widely expected to resume quantitative easing -- in which the central bank would buy government bonds for example and pump extra cash into the financial system to keep interest rates low -- which has pushed the dollar down 7 percent against a basket of currencies in the last month.

Gold, which usually benefits from dollar weakness due to its inverse relation with the U.S. currency, has gained nearly 10 percent in the same period.

The price has risen by 2.3 percent this week, set for its fourth week of gains, and on Thursday witnessed its most volatile day of trade since mid-August, according to Reuters data.

U.S. gold futures for December delivery GCZ0 hit a fresh record high at $1,366 an ounce, before easing to $1,350.40, up $2.4 an ounce on the day.

Market watchers have expected gold to succumb to some profit-taking before scaling new heights as uncertainty over the global economic outlook prevails.

"The whole world uncertainty, the Western slowdown, the Eastern slowing groth, the currency turmoil, the inflation/deflation debate, it all seems supportive for gold," said Credit Agricole analyst Robin Bhar.

DOLLAR GAINS

Gold has gained more in dollars so far this month than in other currencies. In euros XAUEUR=R gold is up just 0.6 percent this month, compared to a 2.8 percent gain in dollar-priced gold, while yen-priced XAUJPY=R and sterling-priced gold XAUGBP=R are both up 1.3 percent. <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ For a graphic of gold priced in different currencies: r.reuters.com/xeg27p ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>

"We look at the reasons for holding gold and other precious metals and, above everything else, it is the idea of a store of value to protect against currency debasement," said Natixis strategist Nic Brown. "Whether you're undergoing quantitative easing or whether you're devaluing your currency against others, it all adds up to pretty much the same thing."

Both the Bank of England and the European Central Bank left their benchmark rates unchanged, as expected. The ECB signalled it was happy with the signs of normalisation in the money markets and said economic recovery in the euro zone would continue. [ID:nLDE6950HJ]

Gold retreated from earlier highs after the world's third-largest producer of the metal, Anglogold Ashanti ANGJ.J said it had completed the buy-back of its hedgebook, previously the largest in the industry. [ID:nWEA1382]

But on a supportive note for gold, state media in Vietnam reported that Asia's second largest bullion consumer after India would grant licences and quotas to import gold, which was banned in mid-2008 as policymakers attempted to tackle the country's trade deficit. [ID:nSGE6960G3]

Nervousness over the outlook for U.S. growth was heightened on Wednesday after a survey of private-sector employment showed a surprise contraction in September, which further unsettled investors ahead of Friday's key employment report.

"With expectations for quantitative easing high, data monitoring between now and the Nov. 3 (Fed policy setting) meeting becomes even more significant," wrote UBS analyst Edel Tully in a note.

"The short-term direction of the U.S. dollar, and therefore gold, will be influenced by tomorrow's U.S. payrolls data: a positive or negative deviation from expectations will weigh heavily on market thinking about quantitative easing prospects."

Spot silver XAG= hit a new 30-year high at $23.51 an ounce, but later eased to $23.02, down from $23.13 on Wednesday.

Holdings in the iShares Silver Trust SLV , the world's largest silver-backed, exchange-traded fund, rose to a fresh record high of 9,944.14 tonnes.