Police in a Thai resort city have launched a crackdown on prostitution ahead of the arrival of the USS Abraham Lincoln, a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier carrying roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines who have spent more than 200 days at sea.
The carrier docks Wednesday at Pattaya, with two escort vessels finishing their journey nearby at Laem Chabang, and authorities have stepped up patrols along the beachfront and nightlife strip ahead of the carrier's arrival, reported The Independent.
Weekend raids already led to the detention of 40 to 50 people on suspicion of prostitution, which remains illegal in Thailand but is widely visible in tourist destinations, and Pattaya police chief Anek Srathongyoo acknowledged the difficulty of the effort, noting that sex workers can solicit in public without police awareness.
The visit is meant to give crew members a chance to rest after a deployment that began in November, when the ship left San Diego before being diverted to the Middle East to support U.S. and Israeli operations against Iran. Democratic lawmakers have said the deployment set a modern-day record for consecutive days at sea.
Pattaya Mayor Poramase Ngampiches estimated that each service member could spend between 1,000 and 3,000 baht, or roughly $30 to $91, per day ashore, with shore leave staggered rather than granted all at once.
Lisa Hamilton, president of the Pattaya Nightlife Business Association, said the visit offers rare optimism after what she called the slowest year she has seen in more than two decades in the city.
Pipatpong Fakfare, an associate professor at Bangkok University's School of Humanities and Tourism Management, warned that a sudden influx of customers could heighten risks of sexual exploitation and sexually transmitted infections.
He also cited recent reports of stress, poor morale and suicide attempts among sailors aboard the Lincoln during its extended deployment, detailed by military-focused outlets earlier this month.
Thanet Supornsahasrungsi, head of the Association of Chonburi Tourism Federation, said the financial impact on Pattaya, which has more than 300,000 hotel rooms, will depend on how many personnel stay locally versus traveling to Bangkok during their time ashore.