Thailand's foreign minister has said there is no evidence linking Malaysia to a wave of bomb blasts in its insurgency plagued and mainly Muslim south, the government said today.

"Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon ... reaffirmed that there was no evidence pointing to Malaysia's involvement," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

"He cited close cooperation between foreign ministries and security authorities of the two countries, particularly along the border," the statement said referring to comments Kantathi made on Sunday.

Thai Interior Minister Kongsak Vantana, however, on Monday again hinted at "outside" involvement in making the bombs, after similar comments he made last week triggered an angry response from Malaysia.

70 bomb blasts

Malaysia's Foreign Minister Syed Hamid last Friday fired back at Bangkok and said that "finding a scapegoat to justify what has happened will not help in any way to ease the tension in the restive south."

The spate of more than 70 bomb blasts since last Thursday, that claimed two lives and wounded 30 people, is the latest escalation of separatist unrest that has killed more than 1,300 people since January 2004 in the Thai region near Malaysia.

Interior Minister Kongsak said Monday that Thailand had restricted the sale of chemicals that can be used as explosives, and added that the bombs were "likely to have come from the outside."

Asked on Monday about the Malaysian reaction, he said: "It's normal that they feel that way, but we do cooperate ... They have to deny their involvement."