The names of top-level officials who will be involved in the southern peace negotiation should be reviewed to increase cohesion among its members, said an expert on the issue.
The top three layers of the peace negotiation command structure -- which comprises of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha as the highest policy maker, Gen Aksara Kerdphol as the chief negotiator, and the Fourth Region Army Commander could be changed as they have been in place for over four years, said Srisompob Jitpiromsri, director of the Deep South Watch and a political scientist at Prince of Songkla University.
Mr Srisompob said the government is in a position to alter the negotiation command structure to better respond to security issues and increase its efficiency.
There have been more than 20 peace talks between the government and insurgent representatives so far, with Malaysia acting as facilitator.
The success of the talks will need to be assessed, the result of which could be used to change the composition of the negotiation command structure where necessary, he said.
The change would improve cohesion among the team members and result in a shorter red tape which could enable faster responses, said Mr Srisompob.
He added that on the policy level, the recent appointment of the new Fourth Region Army commander Pornsak Surasak, who is among the main figures directly connected to the peace talks, will not result in a drastic change.
How far the Thai and Malaysian governments are prepared to go in accepting conditions and issues in the negotiations would be crucial in setting the direction of the talks, Mr Srisompob said.
Malaysia is also affected by the unrest in the deep South, as it has been reported that some of the insurgents who launched attacks in the South went into hiding in Malaysia.
"What the two governments decide and whether they accept certain conditions could make the talks more substantial," the political scientist said.
After analysing Malaysia's expectations of the talks, Mr Srisompob said that Kuala Lumpur is eager to see the adoption of a peaceful approach to deal with the insurgency in the far South.
However, key insurgent figures hiding in Malaysia must first agree to the term of the peace negotiation with the Thai government.
Back in February, a former Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) member said the BRN representatives who had participated in the peace talks, were not "the right people" as they do not hold any decision-making powers.
Gen Aksara conceded last week that officials were still unable to talk directly with leading Mara Patani figures, but Malaysia is pitching in by acting as a mediator when needed.
Mr Srisompob said Malaysia is advocating for a peaceful resolution to the insurgency because the conflict may spill over the border if allowed to go uncontained.
The insurgents called for self-rule, which is unacceptable to the Thai and Malaysian governments.
He said the solution which may be most agreeable to the peace talk's participants is the establishment of a special administrative zone in the far South with a fair degree of administrative freedom. However, the idea would need to be approved by the Thai government.
