Malaysia has urged a peaceful solution to the crisis in neighbouring Thailand, which left 21 dead and over 800 injured in the country's worst political violence in nearly two decades.

NONE"As a close neighbour of Thailand, we call upon all parties to exercise utmost restraint," Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said in a statement late Sunday.

"Despite difficulties, Malaysia hopes that efforts in finding a peaceful solution to the political problems in Thailand would continue and the situation will return to normalcy through peaceful dialogue and negotiations."

Four soldiers and 17 civilians, including a Japanese TV cameraman, were killed in Saturday's crackdown on supporters of fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra in Bangkok.

The violence erupted when troops tried to clear one of two sites in central Bangkok occupied by protesters for the past month.

NONETensions remained high in Bangkok on Monday as the defiant "Red Shirt" protesters demanded premier Abhisit Vejjajiva step down, and vowed to keep up their campaign until he dissolves parliament and calls fresh elections.

Anifah urged Malaysians planning to visit Bangkok to avoid rally locations and remain vigilant, but said routes across the Thai-Malaysia border "remain calm and safe for Malaysians to travel".

The two neighbours are separated by a porous 650-kilometre (400-mile) border in Malaysia's north, which borders Thailand's troubled Muslim-majority southern provinces.

- AFP