Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will meet with Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra next week for talks aimed at solving violence in the kingdom's south, officials said Tuesday.

The two leaders would meet on the Thai resort island of Phuket on Oct 14 where Thaksin would present Abdullah with new information on attacks that have killed more than 315 people this year, said Thai government spokesman Jakrapob Penkair.

"Talks will concentrate on solving problems in southern Thailand as prime minister Thaksin now has more details about trouble-makers and measures to quell the unrest," said Jakrapob.

Thailand and Malaysia agreed to create a "smart card" in August in a joint effort to better monitor people holding dual nationality, which Thailand alleges allows Muslim militants to come and go as they please.

Biggest crisis of Thaksin's premiership

Jakrapob said the Thai premier had also announced a shake-up of security forces in the country's trouble-hit south after Thailand's respected queen complained about a continuing separatist campaign.

Thaksin appointed the deputy supreme commander of Thai forces to head a new security command structure reporting directly to him on the violence. Other bodies coordinating security work in the region have been abolished, said Jakrapob.

Queen Sirikit, who last week completed a month-long tour of the south, met Thaksin last week where she expressed concerns about continuing unrest and called for government officials to work together.

Thailand's deputy prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh said Thaksin was also expected to re-shuffle his cabinet on Wednesday, but did not indicate whether this would include changes affecting the south.

The latest violence was sparked in January when an attack on an army base left four soldiers dead and hundreds of weapons looted.

Attacks have continued on an almost daily basis, mainly targeting officials and security forces, in what Thaksin said amounted to the biggest crisis of his premiership.