One of the insurgent groups blamed for southern Thailand's unrest reportedly wants to hold peace talks in Malaysia but has still not received a formal invitation from the Thai government.

Thai authorities have announced plans for talks with two insurgent groups early next month, and said that core leaders of both Bersatu and the Patani United Liberation Organisation (Pulo) had contacted them.

However, Pulo's foreign affairs officer Kasturi Mahkota said there were no arrangements for negotiations with the military regime, which took power in a September coup.

"It's (play acting) and there has been no formal invitation from the Thai government or military to attend such talks. It's not true," he said in an interview with the New Straits Times .

Mahkota said Malaysia would be an appropriate host as the chair of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, the world's largest Muslim grouping.

There were earlier suggestions that Singapore could be a venue for the talks.

Dr M brokered talks

The advent of the new Thai military regime has sparked hopes that a bloody two-year insurgency in the southern provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat can be quelled.

Former Malaysian premier Mahathir Mohamad's office confirmed on the weekend that he brokered talks between Thai officials and Muslim groups late last year, in an attempt to establish a ceasefire.

The meetings were held in Langkawi.

Malaysia shares a border with southern Thailand, and people living in the two regions have close cultural and social ties.

The region was an independent, ethnic Malay sultanate until Thailand annexed it a century ago. Separatist violence has erupted periodically ever since.