LAEM CHABANG: Thousands of US sailors aboard an aircraft carrier departed from Thailand on Sunday. The 5,000-strong crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln docked just north of the resort town of Pattaya, near Bangkok, on Wednesday for five days of rest and recreation after a lengthy Middle East deployment. Amid Thailand's tourism low season, their arrival raised hopes for businesses in Pattaya, a city known for its beaches and nightlife. The Lincoln departed from the port of Laem Chabang, a half-hour drive from Pattaya, at around 11:00 am (0400 GMT).
Despite concerns about possible trouble, local police said Sunday that the port call ended largely without incident. "Everything went fine," Pattaya police chief Anek Srathongyoo said. "There were no arrests or arguments except on the first day when Americans had an argument among themselves," he said. The US Navy sent two sailors back to the Lincoln after a drunken altercation in the early hours of Thursday near Pattaya's nightlife hotspot Walking Street, the police chief said earlier.
Last month, US Democratic lawmakers called for an investigation into conditions on the Lincoln following reports of food shortages, broken plumbing, and mental health crises. President Donald Trump dismissed the concerns, although the Lincoln was replaced in the Middle East by the USS George Washington. The enlisted Americans were estimated to have spent up to 100 million baht ($3 million) during their visit, Pattaya Mayor Poramase Ngampiches said on Sunday.
In addition, the city benefited from selling other supplies such as toothpaste and soap to the ship worth millions of baht, Poramase told media. Reports said sailors on the Lincoln had gone without basic toiletries at points during their deployment. Many of the sailors and Marines spent their time on Thailand's coast shopping and visiting tourism sites, showing that they wanted to buy souvenirs for their families back home.