Cambodia–Thailand military comparison: Budgets, personnel and firepower

Nevin Al Sukari - Sana'a - Smoke rises from the site, after Thailand launched air strikes along its disputed border with Cambodia, according to Thai army, in Choeteal Kong, Preah Vihear Province, Cambodia, in this screengrab obtained from social media video released on December 8, 2025. — Social media pic via Reuters

BANGKOK, Dec 9 — Thailand has launched air strikes along its disputed border with Cambodia, its military said, after both countries accused each other of breaching a ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump.

Tensions have simmered since Thailand last month suspended de-escalation measures after a Thai soldier was maimed in the latest in a succession of incidents involving landmines that Bangkok says were newly laid by Cambodia. Cambodia rejects the allegations.

Cambodian soldiers stand on a military truck with an anti-aircraft gun in Oddar Meanchey province July 25, 2025. — AFP pic

Budgets and ground personnel

Cambodia had a defence budget of US$1.3 billion (RM5.3 billion) in 2024 and 124,300 active military personnel. The armed forces were established in 1993 from the merger of the country’s former Communist military and two other resistance armies.

Of this, the Cambodian army is the largest force, with some 75,000 soldiers, backed by more than 200 battle tanks and around 480 pieces of artillery.

Armoured personnel carriers (APC) are seen on a road near Thailand-Cambodia’s border in Sisaket province, the day after the leaders of Cambodia and Thailand agreed to a ceasefire on Monday in a bid to bring an end to their deadliest conflict in more than a decade and ahead of military negotiations, Thailand, July 29, 2025. — Reuters pic

Thailand, which the US classifies as a major non-Nato ally, has a large, well-funded military, with a defence budget of US$5.73 billion in 2024 and over 360,000 active armed forces personnel.

The Thai army has a total of 245,000 personnel, including an estimated 115,000 conscripts, around 400 battle tanks, over 1,200 armoured personnel carriers and some 2,600 artillery weapons.

The army has its own fleet of aircraft, comprising passenger planes, helicopters such as dozens of US-made Black Hawks, and unmanned aerial vehicles.

Air forces

Cambodia’s air force has 1,500 personnel, with a relatively small fleet of aircraft, including 10 transport planes and 10 transport helicopters.

It doesn’t possess any fighter aircraft but has 16 multi-role helicopters, including six Soviet-era Mi-17s and 10 Chinese Z-9s.

Thailand has one of the best equipped and trained air forces in Southeast Asia, with an estimated 46,000 personnel, 112 combat capable aircraft, including 28 F-16s and 11 Swedish Gripen fighter jets, and dozens of helicopters.

Navies

The Cambodian navy has an estimated 2,800 personnel, including 1,500 naval infantry, with 13 patrol and coastal combat vessels and one amphibious landing craft.

Thailand’s navy is much larger, with nearly 70,000 personnel, comprising naval aviation, marines, coastal defence and conscripts.

It has one aircraft carrier, seven frigates, and 68 patrol and coastal combat vessels. The Thai fleet also contains a handful of amphibious and landing ships capable of holding hundreds of troops each and 14 smaller landing craft.

Thailand’s naval aviation division has its own fleet of aircraft, including helicopters and UAVs, besides a marine corps that has 23,000 personnel, backed by dozens of armed fighting vehicles. — Reuters