Thailand steps up sex-worker raids as USS Abraham Lincoln set to dock with 5,000 sailors in Pattaya
The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier is set to dock near Thailand’s Pattaya on Wednesday, bringing nearly 5,000 sailors and Marines to the popular tourist city, as local authorities step up police patrols and crack down on sex workers.Thai officials said the sailors will be allowed to rest and recuperate after spending more than 200 days at sea. Shore leave will be staggered, meaning personnel are unlikely to leave the ships all at once.Police have increased patrols around Pattaya’s beachfront and nightlife areas and conducted raids over the weekend. Officials said between 40 and 50 people were detained for suspected prostitution.According to Reuters, Pattaya police chief Anek Srathongyoo said authorities were facing difficulties in preventing solicitation. “We are doing our best, but it is difficult,” Srathongyoo said, adding that sex workers could “solicit in public areas without the knowledge of the authorities.”Prostitution is illegal in Thailand, although the sex industry remains highly visible in major tourist destinations such as Pattaya and parts of Bangkok.The arrival of thousands of US personnel is expected to provide a short-term boost to Pattaya’s tourism and hospitality businesses, which have faced a weak low season.Pattaya Mayor Poramase Ngampiches estimated that each US military personnel could spend between 1,000 and 3,000 baht ($30-$91) a day, depending on how long they remain ashore and whether they stay overnight. “It should help stimulate Pattaya’s economy in the short term,” Poramase said.The influx of US personnel has also raised concerns about Pattaya’s sex industry and potential health and safety risks.“The risk to health and safety, as the influx of a large number of customers may increase the likelihood of sexual exploitation and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases,” Pipatpong Fakfare, an associate professor at Bangkok University’s School of Humanities and Tourism Management was quoted as saying by the Bangkok Post.He also pointed to reports of stress and suicide attempts among personnel aboard the carrier following its prolonged deployment.Pattaya’s association with US military personnel dates back to the Vietnam War, when the former fishing village developed into a major tourism centre as American servicemen began visiting the area.The Abraham Lincoln left its home port in San Diego in November 2025 for what was initially expected to be a six-month deployment. It was later redirected to the Middle East amid the US-Israel war with Iran.The carrier has now spent more than nine months deployed, with its prolonged mission accompanied by reports of declining morale, difficult living conditions and suicide attempts among personnel aboard the ship. It last made a port call in Guam in mid-December before continuing its extended deployment.
