Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has vowed to end violence in the country before 2015.
Prayuth made the remark Sunday after delivering a farewell message as the army chief at a camp in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, Xinhua reported.
He said the government must end the violence before the country joins the regional community and more people from other countries begin travelling to Thailand.
The government would place more emphasis on negotiations to achieve long-term peace.
Peace talks must include many stakeholders in the conflict, said the prime minister, adding that moves to kick-start the negotiations again were going well.
Prayuth also sought cooperation from all branches of the media, saying they should not use the term "movement" to describe those who carry out violent attacks in the far south.
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Since January 2004, separatist violence has recurrently rocked Thailand's Deep South, including three Muslim, ethnic-Malay dominated border provinces - Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, and four districts of Songkhla.
Figures from the Thai military show that insurgent violence in the Deep South has left over 5,900 people dead and 10,600 others injured during the past decade.
Previous talks between ousted Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's government and insurgent groups led by the Barisan Revolusi Nasional started early last year, but stalled in October after five rounds.
Thawil Pliensri, secretary-general of the Thai National Security Council (NSC), Friday said the authorities have no policy to use violence to retaliate against insurgents.
He insisted the government is ready to sit down with those who have differing views from the state.