TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Armed clashes between Thailand and Cambodia escalated at their shared border on Thursday, July 24, 2025. Thailand reportedly deployed F-16 fighter jets to target Cambodian territories. According to a Thai military statement reported by CNA, one of the six F-16 jets stationed at the border was used to destroy military objectives in Cambodia.
Meanwhile, Cambodia responded by firing rockets and artillery, marking a dramatic escalation in the long-standing border dispute between the two neighboring countries.
This century-old dispute involving the two ASEAN nations is particularly fierce in the area known as the Emerald Triangle, where the borders of Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos converge. This disputed region is also home to several ancient temples.
What is the conventional military power overview of these two countries? Below is the data according to Global Firepower in 2025:
Index and Military Strength Ranking
Cambodia has a Power Index (PwrIndx) score of 2.0752, ranking 95th out of 145 countries. Thailand exhibits a stronger position with a Power Index of 0.4536, ranking 25th globally, where 0.0000 represents optimal strength.
Personnel
In terms of personnel, Thailand holds a substantial advantage over Cambodia. Cambodia's total population is around 17 million (ranked 72nd), while Thailand has approximately 70 million people (ranked 20th). Regarding the labor force, Cambodia has about 8.19 million people, compared to Thailand's 36.36 million.
Approximately 5.73 million Cambodians are fit for military service, whereas 27.97 million Thais are. Cambodia records 307,146 individuals reaching military age annually, a significantly lower figure compared to Thailand's 1,118,736.
Cambodia maintains 221,000 active personnel, while Thailand has 360,850 active personnel and 200,000 reserve personnel. Cambodia does not report any reserve personnel. Cambodia also has 10,000 paramilitary troops, compared to Thailand's 25,000.
Financial Strength and Expenditure
Cambodia's defense budget amounts to $860 million (around Rp14 trillion), while Thailand allocates a significantly larger fund of $5.89 billion (around Rp95 trillion).
However, Cambodia's total foreign debt is around US$13.2 billion (approximately Rp214.5 trillion), a much smaller figure compared to Thailand's foreign debt, which reaches US$102.69 billion (about Rp1.67 quadrillion).
Cambodia holds foreign exchange reserves of US$17.8 billion (approximately Rp289 trillion), while Thailand maintains a much larger reserve of US$224.47 billion (approximately Rp3.655 quadrillion).
Air Power
Thailand is recognized for having one of the most robust and well-trained air forces in Southeast Asia, with an estimated 46,000 aircraft crew and support personnel. Its fleet includes 112 combat-ready aircraft, prominently featuring 28 F-16 fighter jets and 11 Gripen fighter aircraft from Sweden, along with numerous helicopters.
In comparison, the Cambodian Air Force is considerably smaller, consisting of about 1,500 personnel and a limited aircraft inventory comprising 10 transport planes and 10 transport helicopters. The country does not operate fighter jets but possesses 16 multi-role helicopters, including six Soviet-era Mi-17s and 10 Chinese Z-9s.
Army Strength
Similar to its Air Force, the Cambodian Army also lags significantly in terms of armament. Cambodia possesses 644 tanks and 3,627 armored vehicles. It has 30 self-propelled artillery units and 430 towed artillery pieces. For mobile rocket projectors, Cambodia ranks 10th globally with 463 units.
Meanwhile, Thailand has 635 tanks and 16,935 armored vehicles. Thailand operates 589 towed artillery units and 50 self-propelled artillery units. Thailand lags far behind in mobile rocket projectors, owning only 26 units.
Navy Strength
Al Jazeera reported that the Thai Navy has nearly 70,000 personnel, including naval aviation units, marines, coastal defense forces, and mandatory naval conscripts.
Its fleet includes one aircraft carrier, seven frigates, and 68 patrol and coastal combat ships. The Thai Navy also operates amphibious landing ships capable of deploying several hundred troops simultaneously, along with 14 smaller landing ships. Thailand also possesses 5 minesweepers.
Its naval aviation is supported by helicopters and UAVs, while the marine corps totals 23,000 troops with various armed combat vehicles.
In contrast, the Cambodian Navy is much smaller, with an estimated 2,800 personnel, including around 1,500 naval infantry. Its fleet consists of 20 coastal patrol and combat ships, along with one amphibious landing ship.
Geography
Cambodia has a smaller land area compared to Thailand. Cambodia's land area covers 181,035 square kilometers, whereas Thailand covers 513,120 square kilometers.
Cambodia shares a land border of 2,530 kilometers; Thailand, with a larger territory, has 5,673 kilometers. Cambodia's coastline spans 443 kilometers, while Thailand's spans 3,219 kilometers. Cambodia has 3,700 kilometers of waterways, and Thailand has 4,000 kilometers.
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