Cambodia and Thailand have completely gone to war, with Cambodia shelling Thai residential areas and Thailand deploying F16s for air strikes in retaliation. A full-scale war between the two countries is on the verge of breaking out.

Xinhua and CCTV News cited local media reports stating that the conflict between Cambodia and Thailand escalated again on July 24th. The latest information shows that Cambodia used BM21 multiple rocket launchers to attack Thai civilian areas, causing multiple casualties.

Thailand immediately deployed F16 fighter jets, which bombed military targets inside Cambodia, dropping two bombs.

Now the information is quite mixed, but it is confirmed that as of the time our program was released, the conflict between the two countries is still ongoing, with sporadic fighting in multiple border areas of both sides.

The landmine incident that broke out at the border on that day was the direct trigger for this conflict. When Thai soldiers were on patrol, they stepped on a mine, resulting in multiple injuries. Thailand accused Cambodia of deliberately planting mines in the patrol area. However, Cambodia denied it, claiming that the Thai soldiers had entered Cambodia's territory and stepped on landmines left from the war period, leading to the injury of the Thai soldiers, implying that Cambodia would even blame Thailand for invading its territory.

Now both Thailand and Cambodia have expelled each other's diplomats, and armed conflicts have broken out again. Next, I estimate that a small-scale conflict is inevitable. If the two sides don't fight for several days to cool down, it will be hard to explain to their domestic populations.

Firstly, I would like to appeal to the readers who watch this program, please remind your relatives and friends not to go to Southeast Asia recently. No one knows how large or how long the conflict between Cambodia and Thailand will last. It is best not to go to Southeast Asia unless it is necessary during this period.

Secondly, what is the military strength of Cambodia and Thailand? Who has a greater chance of winning if they really fight? On the surface, Thailand's military strength is overwhelming compared to Cambodia. Thailand's military budget in 2025 exceeded 7 billion US dollars, while Cambodia only had 800 million US dollars.

Thailand's army has about 240,000 troops, with approximately 300 main battle tanks and more than 1,000 armored vehicles, including those from China, the United States, and the Soviet Union. Its air force mainly consists of Swedish Saab Gripen fighters and American F16 fighters, supported by an accompanying early warning aircraft formation. It even has a light aircraft carrier, the only one in Southeast Asia.

In contrast, Cambodia has fewer than 100,000 troops, and the quantity and quality of tanks and armored vehicles are inferior to those of Thailand. Its air force only has a dozen MiG-21s, most of which are outdated and grounded, and it has no navy.

Previously, there was no lack of conflict between Thailand and Cambodia. Ten years ago, both sides had a artillery battle. The Cambodian Army used the Chinese Type 81 122mm rocket launcher, while the Royal Thai Army sent the Type 85 130mm rocket launcher. Due to the former's superior performance, the Cambodian Army gained the upper hand in the artillery battle.

However, this time Thailand directly deployed F16 fighter jets, which could gain air superiority over Cambodia. On the other hand, it seems that Thailand is not just going to have a small skirmish, but may conduct air strikes followed by coordinated ground forces.

For China, we must prevent Cambodia and Thailand from truly going to war. At this moment, we can't worry about anything else. It is important to note that both countries are on our border, and the Yarlung Zangbo River downstream hydropower station in Southwest China has just started construction. It is crucial that nothing goes wrong in Southeast Asia.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7530523294286594603/

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