Kuala Lampur, July 26 -- In the jagged terrain of Southeast Asia's fragile borders, the escalating military skirmishes between Cambodia and Thailand risk plunging the region into a crisis that neither side can truly afford.

As artillery fire continues to echo across disputed territories, the military imbalance between the two neighbours has become unmistakably clear. Cambodia is outmanned, outgunned, and overwhelmed - and that is precisely why peace, not provocation, must be its path forward.

Thailand's military superiority is not just symbolic; it is overwhelming in both scale and sophistication.

With a defense budget exceeding US$5.7 billion, Thailand commands a force of more than 360,000 active personnel, including 115,000 conscript...