Fighting along the Thai-Cambodian border resumed this week, and experts are analyzing how powerful the armies of the two countries are and how long the conflict could last.
Thailand resumed air strikes on the disputed border with Cambodia last Sunday after both sides accused each other of violating a ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump. Bangkok on Wednesday rejected renewed calls for a ceasefire with Phnom Penh.
Tensions have escalated since Thailand last month froze implementation of de-escalation measures and after a Thai soldier was maimed in the latest in a series of incidents involving landmines that Bangkok says were re-laid by Cambodia. Phnom Penh denies the allegations, Reuters notes.
By 2024, Cambodia had a defense budget of $1.3 billion and 124,300 active-duty soldiers. Its armed forces were created in 1993 from the merger of the country's former communist army and two other resistance armies, Reuters points out.
Of these, the Cambodian ground forces are the largest branch of the armed forces with about 75,000 soldiers, supported by more than 200 battle tanks and about 480 artillery pieces.
Thailand, which enjoys the status of a major US ally outside NATO, has a large, well-funded army, with a defense budget of $5.73 billion by 2024 and more than 360,000 active-duty soldiers.
The Thai army has a total of 245,000 personnel, including about 115,000 conscripts, about 400 battle tanks, more than 1,200 armored fighting vehicles and about 2,600 artillery pieces.
The Thai army has its own aircraft fleet, consisting of airplanes, helicopters, including dozens of American "Black Hawk", as well as drones.
The Cambodian Air Force has 1,500 personnel and a relatively small aviation fleet, including 10 transport aircraft and 10 transport helicopters.
They do not have fighters, but they do have 16 multi-role helicopters, including six Soviet Mi-17s and 10 Chinese Z-9s.
Thailand has one of the best-equipped and trained air forces in Southeast Asia, with approximately 46,000 personnel, 112 combat aircraft, including 28 F-16s and 11 Swedish "Gripen" fighters, as well as dozens helicopters.
The Cambodian Navy has about 2,800 personnel, including 1,500 marines, with 13 patrol and littoral combat ships and one amphibious landing ship.
The Thai Navy is much larger, with nearly 70,000 personnel, including naval aviation, marines, coastal defense and conscripts.
Thailand has one aircraft carrier, seven frigates and 68 patrol and littoral combat ships. The Thai navy also has several amphibious and landing ships capable of carrying hundreds of troops each, and 14 smaller landing ships.
The Thai navy has its own fleet of aircraft, including planes, helicopters and drones, along with a marine corps with 23,000 personnel.
Meanwhile, Cambodia closed its border with Thailand yesterday amid ongoing hostilities between the two countries, AFP reported.
"The government of the Kingdom of Cambodia has decided to suspend all entry and exit at all border crossings along the Cambodian-Thailand border. The measure is effective immediately until further notice," the Cambodian Ministry of Interior said in a statement.
Also yesterday, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul confirmed that his country would continue military operations against Cambodia until "threats" not be removed, despite claims by US President Donald Trump that the two sides have agreed to a ceasefire, AFP notes.