BANGKOK, Oct 24 — Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has pledged Malaysia’s help in "whatever way possible” to Thailand to end the cycle of violence in the kingdom’s southern provinces.

The conflict in southern Thailand according to Dr Mahathir, who is on a two-day visit to the country beginning today, was an opportunity for both nations to display friendship to each other.

"We pledge to help in whatever way possible to end the violence in southern Thailand. I am quite sure with our strength in working together into solving the problem together, we sincerely want to help reduce and end the problem altogether,” he said at a joint media conference with his Thai counterpart Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha at the Government House here today.

Earlier, both leaders and their delegations had held a bilateral meeting at the same venue where they discussed various issues of common interest.

Malaysia is the facilitator for the ongoing peace talks between the Thai government and Mara Patani (Majlis Syura Patani), which acts for separatist groups in the south.

Since 2004, the armed conflict in the four provinces in southern Thailand has claimed more than 7,000 lives.

Former Malaysian inspector-general of police Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Noor who was recently appointed as the facilitator to the peace talks was also present during the joint media conference.

Malaysia, according to the prime minister, is grateful for Thailand’s assistance when the country battled terrorism and wanted to return the favour in helping Bangkok find a solution to its southern problem.

Besides the problem in the south, Mahathir said he also wanted both countries to increase bilateral trade.

"Bilateral trade which has shown an increase of 17.9 per cent in 2018 can be further increased when problems related to bureaucracy at the border crossings are solved,” said the prime minister. — Bernama