Local police step up patrols in entertainment districts amid prostitution and safety concerns

The US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln arrives in Pattaya, Thailand, on Wednesday (local time). [AFP]
The US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln arrives in Pattaya, Thailand, on Wednesday (local time). [AFP]

The USS Abraham Lincoln, a US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier that drew controversy after more than 200 days deployed to the Middle East, made a port call in Thailand to give its crew a long-overdue break, Reuters reported Monday (local time).

According to Pattaya city officials, the Lincoln, carrying a crew of about 5,000, was scheduled to arrive at Laem Chabang Port near Pattaya on Wednesday along with two other US Navy vessels.

The carrier left its home port of San Diego, California, last November and spent an extended period in the Middle East conducting missions related to the war with Iran before heading home.

During the prolonged deployment, reports of suicide attempts and low morale among the crew sparked a public debate over the mental health of those aboard.

Crew members will go ashore in shifts to rest. Depending on the length of their stay on land, they are expected to spend between 1,000 and 3,000 baht (about $30 to $90) per day.

Pattaya, one of Thailand's most popular tourism destinations, is anticipating an economic windfall from the visit, having converted part of a fishing village into a tourism center ahead of the carrier's arrival.

Pattaya Mayor Poramasee Ngampichet said the Lincoln's port call would give the city's economy a short-term boost.

Lisa Hamilton, president of the Pattaya Entertainment Business Association, said she had never seen such a sluggish year for the local economy in more than two decades of living in the city. "The Lincoln's port call has become a source of hope for us," she said.

Some, however, have raised concerns that a large influx of personnel could lead to prostitution and other problems in Pattaya's nightlife districts.

Local police, mindful of those concerns, stepped up patrols around entertainment venues over the past weekend ahead of the carrier's arrival. Officers also conducted unannounced raids on nightlife establishments, detaining 40 to 50 people on prostitution charges.

Piphatpong Pakpare, an associate professor in the Faculty of Humanities and Tourism at Bangkok University, cited reports of suicide attempts among the Lincoln's crew and warned that "a large influx of customers could increase health and safety risks, with the potential for sexual exploitation and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases."


mokiya@heraldcorp.com