Thailand on Thursday said peace talks with Muslim separatists would resume in Malaysia next week after a round in September ended without progress.

Separatists waging a decades-old insurgency in the Muslim-majority southern Thai provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat have stepped up attacks since 2004 with more than 6,500 people killed, according to an independent monitoring group.

A peace effort began in 2013 under a civilian government and was picked up again by a military government set up after a 2014 coup.