Aiyoh, here we go again. Just five months after Donald Trump brokered that "beautiful, tremendous ceasefire" between Thailand and Cambodia, fighter jets are screaming over disputed borderlands. Nearly four hundred thousand civilians scrambling for shelters. Artillery shells landing near 11th century temples. All because two neighbors still can't agree where to draw the line on a map made by French colonial officers last century.

Don't play play, this isn't some small misunderstanding. Thailand's air force conducted strikes against what they call Cambodian military positions. Cambodia says they're just sitting ducks getting bombed for no reason. Both sides swear the other shot first. And ordinary folks who just want to plant rice and sell goods at the border? They're caught in the middle like extra pawns in someone else's chess game.

You know the strangest part? These two countries aren't enemies lah. They share Buddhist traditions, trade through the same Mekong River, even exchange soap opera stars. My makcik in Hat Yai buys the best kampot pepper from Cambodian traders. But dig into history and oops, colonial ghosts start whispering trouble.

Everything boils down to this, aiyah. The French drew sneaky maps in 1907 when Cambodia was their colony, slicing through villages and watersheds without asking locals. Then in 1962, the World Court gave Cambodia that breathtaking Preah Vihear temple, but Thais still feel the surrounding land belongs to them. Every few years, politicians wave this nationalism flag. Soldiers patrol. Tourists get chased away. And when someone steps on a landmine, suddenly fighter jets get scrambled.

Now you may ask, why so serious over some old stones? Because governments use these spats to distract from bigger headaches. Last year, Thailand's government collapsed after trying to negotiate offshore energy rights with Cambodia. Opposition politicians screamed "Don't surrender our islands!" Faster than you can say pad thai, generals started moving tanks to the border.

But let's not pretend both sides equally kuat. Thailand's military budget could buy Cambodia's whole defense force four times over. The Thais have fighter jets, Cambodians have helicopters. When Thailand does air strikes, it's like an MMA fighter punching a lightweight boxer. Not exactly sportsmanlike conduct.

The human cost makes me want to cry, lah. You see pictures of families fleeing with babies and cooking pots, refugees sleeping in school gyms. These are farmers and shopkeepers who cross that border daily to make a living. Now their markets become battlegrounds. Their kids hear artillery instead of school bells. And for what, the honor of planting your flag on a few extra hectares of jungle?

Here's where it gets interesting. Remember when Cambodia nominated Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize after his July ceasefire? Now both sides claim they're upholding his truce while accusing the other of breaking it. Very creative bookkeeping. Our Malaysian brother Anwar Ibrahim tried mediating too, but seems like that old ASEAN magic isn't working so well this time.

Some will say this proves Southeast Asian diplomacy is wayang kulit, shadow puppets with no real power. I disagree. Look at how Indonesia handled the South China Sea, or how Malaysia resolved its Sabah disputes. ASEAN knows how to talk people down from ledges. But when nationalists on both sides keep shouting about territorial sacredness, even the wisest datuks and tok bissaus get headaches.

On the bright side, this mess reminds us what really matters. Beyond temples and treaties, it's about coffee stall aunties who can't get their morning supplies. Schoolkids missing exams because soldiers occupied their classrooms. The noodle seller who usually serves both Thai and Cambodian truck drivers.

So what's next? Either they keep fighting over colonial maps until everyone forgets why they started, or someone takes a deep breath. Maybe Thailand's new government could invite Hun Manet for tea, no conditions. Perhaps Cambodia stops with the landmine accusations, Thailand stops the air strikes. Definitely let ASEAN observers patrol the area, like they did in 2011.

One last thought. Angkor Wat survived eight centuries. Preah Vihear stood through monsoons and invasions. These temples didn't vanish because some general drew lines on a map. Maybe humans could learn from stones, don't you think? Protect what's precious, stand firm through storms, and remember borders change faster than history.