PATTAYA, Thailand: Hundreds of US sailors disembarked in Thailand on Wednesday, visiting a resort town with a seedy reputation after a lengthy Middle East deployment that sparked concerns over conditions on board.
The 5,000-strong crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln docked just north of Pattaya, near Bangkok, for their first port call in 286 days at sea.
Their arrival for five days of rest and recreation was eagerly awaited in Pattaya, a city known for its beaches and nightlife, and also as a hub for sex tourism.
On one street known as a hotspot for that industry, women paraded in revealing sailor outfits -- although the mayor emphasised the city’s other offerings, from sports and wellness to beaches and malls.
“We’re all very excited, it should get quite lively,” said Anthony “AJ” Jones, a 60-year-old musician from New Zealand who performs every night at a Pattaya beach bar.A banner outside the establishment welcomed US military personnel.
“It will be a boon for businesses,” Jones told AFP, saying he was planning to perform some American classics to entertain the troops.
As the sun set in Pattaya, dozens of Thai police and security forces gathered on a beach walkway, just across from the Hard Rock Hotel where sailors were staying.
With authorities wary of potential trouble, security has been stepped up in the city.
The sailors are not allowed to engage in water sports, such as jet-skiing, nor to take advantage of Thailand’s lax cannabis laws, according to Pattaya’s mayor, Poramase Ngampiches.
Authorities recently cracked down on sex workers in the city, but Poramase denied reports of arrests ahead of the Lincoln crew’s visit.
Asked about the city’s sordid reputation, Poramase told reporters on Wednesday: “We have to be honest, that kind of thing still happens in Pattaya.”
Among illuminated signs advertising a beer garden and a 24-hour cannabis shop, another billboard welcomed US troops at the entrance of Walking Street, one of Pattaya’s red-light districts.
Some US service members, dressed in civilian shorts and T-shirts, were earlier given traditional garlands at a welcome ceremony.
They offered few words about their priorities to gathered journalists: “Food, sleep, water.”
“We’re very, very happy to be here,” commanding officer Captain Dan Keeler told reporters.
“It is a well-deserved break for all of the crew.”
After nine months apart, American Shakeira Fairfax said she couldn’t wait to hug her daughter Jada, a sailor who celebrated her 25th birthday in June aboard the Lincoln.Fairfax travelled to Pattaya from New Jersey, on the US East Coast, to meet her daughter when she finally disembarked.
