Today, CSI LA, a popular Thai-language Facebook page, posted a simulation of a hypothetical war between Thailand and Cambodia, suggesting that Thailand could force Cambodia to surrender within 14 to 21 days. At first glance, the post appears calculated and strategic citing “AI military models” and laying out a detailed play-by-play of how Thailand might achieve a swift victory.
Here are three key insights to snap CSI LA out of their daydream:
1. CSI LA thinks they can set up the interim government:
One of the most laughable parts of CSI LA's simulation is the idea that Thailand could install an “interim government” in Cambodia without being seen as an occupier and without facing global condemnation.
That’s like robbing a bank and expecting to be called a loyal customer.
Let’s be honest: it is a normal thing in Thailand that robbing people votes and kicking out the legitime government may work in Thailand. In order words, coup d'état may be a tradition in Thailand, but managing regime change abroad is a different game. Overthrowing a legitimately elected government and expecting the world to applaud? That’s not diplomacy, that’s delusion.
2. Intervention Is Inevitable in the 21st Century:
CSI LA’s scenario might work if we were living thousands of years ago in a world without international law, alliances, or globalization. But in today’s interconnected world, especially between two ASEAN member states, a military invasion wouldn’t just go unnoticed. It would trigger regional instability, threaten economic cooperation, and become a top priority on ASEAN’s agenda.
More importantly, China and Vietnam, two of Cambodia’s oldest strategic partners, are unlikely to stand by silently. Both countries have deep economic and political ties with Cambodia. Thailand wouldn’t just risk global backlash, it could face regional isolation and lose face on the international stage.
3. Be careful what Thailand wish for:
The simulation also fantasizes about using economic pressure, cutting electricity, internet, fuel to bring Cambodia to its knees.
The moment Thailand floated the idea of economic restrictions, Cambodia responded first, cutting off Thai electricity, internet connections, and most recently suspending petroleum imports. Thailand may talk or propose ideas, but Cambodia takes real action.
In response, Thailand's Prime Minister walked it all back, apologizing for her spokesperson’s comments and, in a leaked phone call, reportedly asking Cambodian leaders to reconsider their retaliatory measures. That’s not dominance, it’s damage control.
Final thought, the framing of this simulation around “AI military models” is a red herring. AI is only as smart as the human prompting it. If the inputs are nationalist fantasy, the output is propaganda and nothing more. In moments of real tension, content like this doesn't just mislead, it is able to provoke conflict, deepen hostility, and wreck chances for peaceful resolution. Because in geopolitics, when people start believing in their own fantasies, those fantasies can spiral into real-world crises.
And at the end of the day, wars don’t make heroes, they make graves.
Author: DeNotoriousONE