PATTAYA — The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in Thailand on Wednesday, its first port call in more than eight months, ending a marathon stint at sea in the Middle East that raised concerns about the welfare of its crew.The nuclear-powered carrier, the length of its hull stained by rust from the extended time at sea, pulled into the port of Laem Chabang, giving its nearly 5,000 crew members a much-needed break.The ship is docking close to the beach resort of Pattaya, known for its raucous nightlife and for sex tourism. For the US it also carries strong historical echoes.When the weary sailors walk into the city’s bars and restaurants, they will literally be treading in the footsteps of the hundreds of thousands of US troops who came here for R&R – rest and relaxation — during the Vietnam War.They transformed it from a sleepy fishing village to one of the world’s most famous and frenetic party towns.Today the neon-lit alleys running down to the beach are much quieter than usual. The Iran War, which has affected tourism and consumer spending, has hit businesses hard here. The prospect of thousands of American sailors, with nine months of salary unspent while at sea, offers a rare opportunity to local businesses.The US carrier left San Diego last November on what was supposed to be a six-month assignment in the Pacific and South China Sea.However, the ship was diverted to the Gulf after the US and Israel began military operations against Iran in late February.Recently, some members of Congress raised concern about reports of food shortages, broken toilets and mental stress among the crew. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut and a member of the Armed Services Committee, wrote to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the acting secretary of the Navy last month to express “serious concern” about the increasing length of deployments and demand answers about living conditions aboard the carrier.“There have been widespread reports of shortages of basic supplies, water contamination, plumbing issues, deteriorating mental health, deck safety concerns,” aboard the ship, he said in the letter, as well as “disruptions in the mail system, which have caused many care packages in route to the ship to be lost in transit for months.”Hegseth later said that conditions on the Lincoln had been “completely misrepresented” though he did not specify his concerns with the reporting.When the 100,000-ton ship returns to Southern California later this year, it will have completed one of the longest deployments in US Navy history.The US Navy acknowledged that working conditions have been tough, but said the crew were sufficiently well-supported. It would not, however, comment on the carrier docking at Pattaya, citing operational security.“We are all very excited to make Thailand the first port visit on our historic deployment,” said Capt. Dan Keeler, the Lincoln’s commanding officer, in a statement.Despite its close relationship with China, Thailand is a treaty ally of the US, and port visits by US Navy ships are a familiar occurrence.But this is probably the largest number of US military personnel coming straight from a war zone to Pattaya since the fall of Saigon in 1975.”This visit could be our best hope,” said Anon Saiteer, who sells gems in a shop near Pattaya’s Walking Street, which has put up a large sign welcoming the US sailors and marines and offering them a special discount. “We have nothing to lose – we just hope they will spend some money here.”But US and Thai officials are trying to ensure this happens without any of the salacious headlines for which Pattaya has become known.The US Navy has organized shuttle buses from the port into Pattaya running from 5am to 2am every day the carrier is here in Thailand. Two hotels have been designated suitable for those US crew members who want to splash out on a night onshore.Thai authorities have deployed hundreds of police officers to keep an eye on the city’s entertainment zones, and warned local businesses not to overcharge their American guests.Pattaya City Mayor Poramet Ngampichet said he hopes the Lincoln’s port call will boost the local economy.”The visits of US military men 50-60 years ago introduced Pattaya to the world and turned it into a tourist attraction,” he said.“For Pattaya to be seen as an important vacation spot is something that we have aimed for,” Poramet said, according to the Associated Press. “We welcome more visits of the troops in the future, whether for a drill or a vacation, before they go back to the US.”PATTAYA — The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in Thailand on Wednesday, its first port call in more than eight months, ending a marathon stint at sea in the Middle East that raised concerns about the welfare of its crew.The nuclear-powered carrier, the length of its hull stained by rust from the extended time at sea, pulled into the port of Laem Chabang, giving its nearly 5,000 crew members a much-needed break.The ship is docking close to the beach resort of Pattaya, known for its raucous nightlife and for sex tourism. For the US it also carries strong historical echoes.When the weary sailors walk into the city’s bars and restaurants, they will literally be treading in the footsteps of the hundreds of thousands of US troops who came here for R&R – rest and relaxation — during the Vietnam War.They transformed it from a sleepy fishing village to one of the world’s most famous and frenetic party towns.Today the neon-lit alleys running down to the beach are much quieter than usual. The Iran War, which has affected tourism and consumer spending, has hit businesses hard here. The prospect of thousands of American sailors, with nine months of salary unspent while at sea, offers a rare opportunity to local businesses.The US carrier left San Diego last November on what was supposed to be a six-month assignment in the Pacific and South China Sea.However, the ship was diverted to the Gulf after the US and Israel began military operations against Iran in late February.Recently, some members of Congress raised concern about reports of food shortages, broken toilets and mental stress among the crew. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut and a member of the Armed Services Committee, wrote to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the acting secretary of the Navy last month to express “serious concern” about the increasing length of deployments and demand answers about living conditions aboard the carrier.“There have been widespread reports of shortages of basic supplies, water contamination, plumbing issues, deteriorating mental health, deck safety concerns,” aboard the ship, he said in the letter, as well as “disruptions in the mail system, which have caused many care packages in route to the ship to be lost in transit for months.”Hegseth later said that conditions on the Lincoln had been “completely misrepresented” though he did not specify his concerns with the reporting.When the 100,000-ton ship returns to Southern California later this year, it will have completed one of the longest deployments in US Navy history.The US Navy acknowledged that working conditions have been tough, but said the crew were sufficiently well-supported. It would not, however, comment on the carrier docking at Pattaya, citing operational security.“We are all very excited to make Thailand the first port visit on our historic deployment,” said Capt. Dan Keeler, the Lincoln’s commanding officer, in a statement.Despite its close relationship with China, Thailand is a treaty ally of the US, and port visits by US Navy ships are a familiar occurrence.But this is probably the largest number of US military personnel coming straight from a war zone to Pattaya since the fall of Saigon in 1975.”This visit could be our best hope,” said Anon Saiteer, who sells gems in a shop near Pattaya’s Walking Street, which has put up a large sign welcoming the US sailors and marines and offering them a special discount. “We have nothing to lose – we just hope they will spend some money here.”But US and Thai officials are trying to ensure this happens without any of the salacious headlines for which Pattaya has become known.The US Navy has organized shuttle buses from the port into Pattaya running from 5am to 2am every day the carrier is here in Thailand. Two hotels have been designated suitable for those US crew members who want to splash out on a night onshore.Thai authorities have deployed hundreds of police officers to keep an eye on the city’s entertainment zones, and warned local businesses not to overcharge their American guests.Pattaya City Mayor Poramet Ngampichet said he hopes the Lincoln’s port call will boost the local economy.”The visits of US military men 50-60 years ago introduced Pattaya to the world and turned it into a tourist attraction,” he said.“For Pattaya to be seen as an important vacation spot is something that we have aimed for,” Poramet said, according to the Associated Press. “We welcome more visits of the troops in the future, whether for a drill or a vacation, before they go back to the US.”
US aircraft carrier docks near Thai beach resort after record eight months at sea
