A US aircraft carrier that spent 286 straight days at sea finally got its crew ashore this week, only for the first hours in port to end in a drunken brawl between two of its own sailors.
A Fight Breaks Out Within Hours of Docking
USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in Pattaya, Thailand on Wednesday, giving roughly 5,000 US soldiers and sailors their first real chance to step on land and unwind after nearly ten months at sea. Instead, within hours of the carrier's arrival, two sailors were found fighting near Walking Street, one of Pattaya's most well known nightlife strips. Local police chief Colonel Anek Srathongyu said the sailors were drunk, brawling and making a lot of noise. Officers said the pair had not broken any Thai law.
No Crime, But No Shore Leave Either
Even though police confirmed no law was broken, the two sailors will not be allowed off the ship for the remainder of its five day port stop. For the US Navy, it was described as a minor scuffle, but for Thai authorities overseeing a carefully managed visit, it was an awkward start.
Rules Were Already in Place Before the Ship Even Arrived
US and Thai officials had drawn up a long list of restrictions ahead of the visit, aware that Pattaya's reputation as a nightlife hotspot posed a genuine risk of controversy with thousands of troops in town. Soi 6, an area known for its clubs and bars, was declared off limits to soldiers. Thai police also reminded the visiting troops that prostitution is illegal in the country. Pattaya's mayor, Poramase Ngampiches, had earlier denied reports of arrests in the city's red light district ahead of the sailors' arrival, though he acknowledged that such activity still goes on in Pattaya. The restrictions did not stop there. Soldiers were also told to stay away from cannabis shops, and sports such as paragliding and jet skiing were banned for the duration of the stay. Thai officials had hoped to get through the presence of around 5,000 American troops without a major incident, but the fight on the very first day already tested that plan.
A 286 Day Deployment That Didn't Go As Planned
The Pattaya stop capped an unusually long and difficult deployment for the USS Abraham Lincoln. The carrier left San Diego last November on what was originally meant to be roughly a six month deployment across the Pacific and the South China Sea. That plan changed in February, when the United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran, and the Lincoln was redirected to West Asia instead. The carrier then remained at sea for a long stretch afterward, and by the time it reached Pattaya on Wednesday, it had logged 286 days continuously at sea. That extended time afloat had already drawn scrutiny back home. US lawmakers raised concerns about reports of food shortages, poor toilet conditions and mental strain among the crew. President Donald Trump dismissed those concerns. Separately, the wife of one American sailor had described the ship as a floating iron prison.
The Biggest US Military Presence in Pattaya Since 1975
Officials said that apart from the one brawl, no other major incident was reported during the ship's time in Pattaya. The visit is being counted as one of the largest deployments of American military personnel to Pattaya since the fall of Saigon in 1975. USS Abraham Lincoln and its crew are scheduled to leave Thailand for the United States on Sunday.
