A new round of talks between the government's peace team and the Barisan Revolusi Nasional Melayu-Patani (BRN) starts on Tuesday in Malaysia, according to a National Security Council (NSC) source.
NSC deputy secretary-general Chatchai Bangchuad will lead the NSC team in the negotiations that are to take place over two days, while Anas Abdulrahman, a high-ranking BRN official, will lead the rebel group's negotiators.
The source said both sides have new members on their peace panels.
Gen Zulkifli Zainal Abidin, the former chief of the Malaysian armed forces, will attend as the Malaysian facilitator.
Tuesday's negotiations will focus on pushing for a joint agreement on peace in the deep South, with the aim of reaching a deal sometime this year, he said.
The plan includes the establishment of a team working to reduce violence. The source said that the Thai team aims to kick this off around Songkran, which it has dubbed the "Songkran of peace".
The Joint Comprehensive Plan towards Peace (JCPP) is expected to be pushed as quickly as possible in the middle of the year. According to the source, the plan prioritises violence reduction, public discussions of key issues, and joint political solutions.
Negotiations will be conducted in a more open fashion, and representatives of various separatist movements are said to be included in the negotiations. The source added that the Thai team had been to the area to gather information from local residents.
The talks were put on hold ahead of the general election on May 14 last year, as the BRN said the Thai political situation needed to be more stable before the process could move further.
Mr Chatchai was appointed the Thai panel's chairman by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on Nov 27, making him the first civilian to lead the negotiating team in nine years. The team formed during Gen Prayut Chan-o-Cha's administration was led either by a serving soldier or a former one.