Of course, trouble at the 508-mile (817 km) shared border is nothing new. For over a century, Thailand and Cambodia have contested sovereignty at various undemarcated points in the thick jungle punctuated with culturally-significant temples albeit with scant strategic or economic value.

The acrimonious dispute, which flared into violence last week, concerns much more than a few square kilometers of rugged territory.

The countries have a history of occasional conflict, but this latest fight comes after an old friendship crumbled.