Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar has called on Thailand to be "mature" over a boycott of Thai goods by Malaysian activists, suggesting Bangkok had overreacted.

Thai leaders reportedly lashed out at the boycott of two Thai products and a demonstration by Malaysian activists earlier this month at Thailand's embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

But Syed Hamid said late Saturday that Thai goods were still entering Malaysia in spite of the boycott and called for a more measured response from its northern neighbour.

"We should not be narrow-minded and jeopardise economic and trade relations each time we have a political dispute. We need to be mature," he was quoted as saying by the official Bernama news agency.

The Malaysian government has said it does not support the boycott - initiated over the treatment of Thai Muslims - but that it cannot stop the action, and Syed Hamid said he was taken aback by Thailand's reaction.

"I am surprised by the harsh reaction by Thailand. We cannot restrict people as we practise democracy and the rule of law, and this sort of thing sometimes happen," he said.

"As long as they do not contravene the law, we will not take any action," he said of the boycott.

Turn the other cheek

Syed Hamid said relations could be undermined by harsh statements and that Malaysia had chosen to turn the other cheek in response to demonstrations by Thais in front of Malaysia's embassy in Bangkok.

"The demonstrators displayed placards calling us all sorts of names but we have not reacted as we know the demonstrations were not ordered by the Thai government," he said.

Bilateral relations have deteriorated since 131 Thai Muslims from southern Narathiwat province fled into Malaysia in August, triggering a tussle between the governments over the fate of the group.