BANGKOK -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's recent appointment of Thailand's former premier, Thaksin Shinawatra, as an economic adviser was the diplomatic equivalent of precision bombing, whose shockwaves have sent relations between the neighboring Southeast Asian nations into a tailspin.
But as the dust settles, observers say it is unclear who actually benefited from the increased tensions between Thailand and Cambodia.
Thaksin -- who was ousted by a military putsch in September 2006 and has been a polarizing figure in Thai politics ever since -- is on the run from a two-year jail term for corruption handed down by Thailand's Supreme Court in October 2008.