Thailand and Cambodia

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12448622

I admit I don't know much about the region but the border clash between Thailand and Cambodia looks to be quite serious. It's getting almost no coverage in news despite the fact a war in that region would devastate the world economy.

So who knows more about the issue?

It's a border spat that has been gong on for years, mainly over that temple. im sureit wont escalate.

So whose at fault in this little incident?

My definition of the one at fault is the one who started moving into the other guy's land.

edited 15th Feb '11 12:12:48 AM by Signed

For some reason, I have this persistent urge to remember Cambodia as being in South America.

It's a dispute over where the border, the border set by France, or a different border set [part of borders between Siam/Thailand and France]. Apparently the french intentionally or accidentally put the border right through that place.

EDIT: yes part of that border setting between Siam and France included that aspect.

For some reason, I have this persistent urge to remember Cambodia as being in South America.

Bolivar > Bolivia > Bolivarian > Cambodia is probably your thought pattern.

edited 15th Feb '11 12:33:19 AM by BalloonFleet

Wow...the French are assholes...

It's almost as bad as what Britain did...

edited 15th Feb '11 12:36:24 AM by Signed

Actually in some cases it was activly worse than what the british did. As suprising as that may seem Britain was one of the better colonial powers.

Just let the full horror of that statement sink in for a while.

Well, the French couldn't possibly be as bad as the Belegians, right?

Hmmm, depends how you measure it. The french certainly weren't as bad in as concentrated an area, but they were still pretty bad.

Nor the Germans.

Thailand could probably hold its own if things went south.

Lets just say that all colonial powers had untold deaths on their hands that they can nevr wash out and leave it at that.

Thailand has an aircraft carrier.

Granted, its a white elephant that basically just acts as the King's personal yacht and is fairly obsolete by modern standards but...

They have a carrier. And no one else in Indochina, including Cambodia, has one to counter it. As such, unless the Indians get called in on this (which won't happen because the Chinese would move in too), if this war goes total, Thailand at least has the naval advantage. Dunno how the armies and air forces compare though.

Well I don't see India/China involving themselves unless it were peacekeeping. Both have so much to lose from a conflagration in the region.

Or maybe it's Columbia sounds like Cambodia.

This is the reason my uncle's not coming to visit my family since he's a colonel in the Thai Army, so it really can't be helped. I don't know what's gonna happen, since we were planning on going to Thailand this year (though that's not the important part, the war is more important).

It's only 4.8 square km. Couldn't they both just get 2.4 and move along (yeah, I know that would only happen in a perfect world, but still...)

Well I thought the main dispute was over the temple that's in that 4.8 km², so...probably not, whoever didn't get the temple wouldn't be happy with the arrangement.

edited 19th Feb '11 7:58:04 PM by deathjavu

Why not...just build two temples?

edited 19th Feb '11 8:00:41 PM by Signed

Why not just let anyone into the temple? It's a frigging temple.

It's an ancient temple. Special, you see? Unique. Can't get another one

That's what they said about Jerusalem, and then someone went and gave the land to a new country, and then people started fighting over it, and it's just been one big clusterfuck ever since.

But the sweet sweet tourist money, think of the money man!