LAEM CHABANG, Thailand, Sept 2 (Reuters) – U.S. Navy aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln steamed into Thailand’s Laem Chabang on Wednesday morning after more than 200 days at sea, including a long deployment in the Middle East, amid reports of mental health concerns and deteriorating conditions aboard.
The Lincoln, with roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard, has set a modern-day record for consecutive days at sea, according to Democratic lawmakers.
Typically naval deployments are for between six and nine months, but during times of conflict that can be extended.
Accompanied by other U.S. naval vessels, the aircraft carrier will stop in Thailand — the United States’ only treaty partner in mainland Southeast Asia — for rest and recuperation for five days, according to Thai officials.
The arrival of thousands of military personnel has raised hopes of an economic boost in the nearby resort city of Pattaya, which also has a long-standing reputation as a sex tourism destination.
A fleet of around 40 buses will ferry the military personnel between Pattaya and the port at Laem Chabang where the vessels will dock, Pattaya Mayor Poramase Ngampiches said.
“There are certain places and activities that the personnel are prohibited from participating in, such as all kinds of water sports, jet skiing, bungee jumping, wrestling, and boxing,” he told Reuters.
Police will deploy additional patrols around Pattaya’s main beachfront and nightlife district, following raids over the weekend that led to 40 to 50 people being detained for suspected prostitution, officials said.
Although illegal in Thailand, the sex industry is openly visible in major tourism hubs, including parts of Bangkok and Pattaya, despite occasional crackdowns.
(Reporting by Thomas Suen, Chalinee Thirasupa and Panarat Thepgumpanat, Writing by Devjyot Ghoshal; Editing by John Mair)
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