Thailand's top army intelligence officer is visiting Kuala Lumpur to discuss the fate of more than 130 Thai Muslims sheltering in Malaysia amid deteriorating bilateral relations.

Lieutenant General Chayasit Limthong left for Thailand's southern neighbour yesterday to urge Malaysia to return the 131 Thais to Bangkok, Thai Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon told reporters.

Ties have deteriorated since the Thai Muslims from southern Narathiwat province crossed into majority Muslim Malaysia in August, saying they were fleeing separatist unrest, triggering a diplomatic tussle over their fate.

The Thai foreign minister said he expected the Thai Muslims to return to Bangkok within a couple of months.

"We hope they will come back before the end of the year," Kantathi said.

Boycott of Thai goods

He also said that bilateral ties, which plummeted after Malaysian activists urged a boycott of Thai goods to protest Bangkok's handling of an insurgency in its Muslim-majority provinces, were improving.

The minister added the dispute would not affect the December summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Malaysia.

"This problem will not affect the Asean summit as Malaysia has said the meeting will discuss joint cooperation and not focus on a specific country," he said.

ASEAN members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.