USS Abraham Lincoln visit raises hopes of Pattaya tourism boost

Pattaya, Thailand. The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln is due to dock at Laem Chabang near Pattaya on Wednesday, bringing nearly 5,000 sailors and Marines for shore leave after a deployment of more than 200 days at sea.

Port call and police measures

The Abraham Lincoln will arrive with two accompanying Navy vessels, according to Thai officials. Police are planning additional patrols around Pattaya’s beachfront and nightlife areas ahead of the visit.

Weekend raids resulted in the detention of 40 to 50 people suspected of prostitution, officials said.

“We are doing our best, but it is difficult,” Pattaya police chief Anek Srathongyoo said on Monday, noting that sex workers could solicit in public areas without authorities’ knowledge.

Prostitution is illegal in Thailand, although the sex industry remains openly visible in major tourism centres, including parts of Bangkok and Pattaya, despite periodic crackdowns.

Extended deployment

The carrier left its home port of San Diego in November and was later redirected to the Middle East to support military operations in the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.

Democratic lawmakers said the deployment set a modern-day record for consecutive days at sea. Military-focused outlets this month reported concerns about mental health, suicide attempts and declining morale aboard the vessel.

Expected local spending

Pattaya, once a fishing village that developed into a tourism centre partly through visits by U.S. servicemen during the Vietnam War, is expecting an economic boost from the port call.

Pattaya Mayor Poramase Ngampiches said each U.S. military service member could spend between 1,000 and 3,000 baht per day, or $30 to $91, depending on the length of their time ashore and whether they stayed overnight.

Shore leave is typically staggered, meaning that not all personnel will disembark at the same time.