Nearly 5,000 American sailors and Marines are set to come ashore in Pattaya this week as the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln makes a port call at Laem Chabang, prompting Thai officials to increase police patrols against illegal prostitution even as local businesses hope the visit will provide a much needed economic lift.
The carrier is due to dock at Laem Chabang Port in Chonburi province on Wednesday, accompanied by the destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr., with the visit expected to run through September 6, according to several news sources citing Thai officials. The stop comes as the Lincoln heads home to the United States after more than 200 days at sea, an unusually long deployment that began in November 2025 and was extended when the carrier group was redirected to the Middle East during the US conflict with Iran.
Thai and US officials have described the visit as a routine port call for rest, recovery and resupply, not a joint military exercise. Shore leave will be staggered, meaning not all personnel will disembark at once.
Pattaya Mayor Poramet Ngampichet said he expects each visiting service member to spend between 1,000 and 3,000 baht a day, depending on how long they stay ashore and whether they remain in the city overnight. Hotels, restaurants, bars, retailers and transport operators are all expected to see some benefit, though officials cautioned that many sailors could choose to travel to Bangkok instead, which would limit how much of that spending actually reaches Pattaya.
Lisa Hamilton, president of the Pattaya Nightlife Business Association, said the port call offers a rare bright spot for an industry that has struggled through its weakest year in more than two decades. Thanet Supornsahasrungsi, president of the Association of Chonburi Tourism Federation, was more cautious, noting that the city’s more than 300,000 hotel rooms mean any single group of visitors, however large, will only move the needle so far.
City officials met with US Navy representatives on Monday to set ground rules for the visit. Sailors and Marines will be barred from cannabis dispensaries, parasailing and other water-based activities, and will be kept out of certain streets, including Pattaya’s red-light district, according to local reporting. Walking Street, the city’s best known nightlife strip, will remain open to personnel, but they must clear the area by 2 a.m., and police say they will maintain a larger than usual presence there throughout the visit.
Pattaya police chief Anek Srathongyoo said any service member who breaks Thai law will face prosecution like anyone else. That includes strict local rules around cannabis, which require a doctor’s prescription for legal use, and a total ban on vapes and e-cigarettes, which can carry fines or jail time for both tourists and residents.
Police have already stepped up enforcement ahead of the ships’ arrival. Weekend patrols led to between 40 and 50 people being detained on suspicion of prostitution related offenses, and a separate crackdown days earlier resulted in 25 people being cited in public areas of the city. Officers acknowledge that enforcement remains difficult, since solicitation often happens quickly and in plain public view.
The scale of the expected crowds has also raised concern among researchers. Pipatpong Fakfare, an associate professor at Bangkok University’s School of Humanities and Tourism Management, warned that a sudden jump in demand could increase the risk of sexual exploitation and the spread of sexually transmitted infections, and said the reported strain on the crew’s mental health after their long deployment adds another factor authorities should weigh as they prepare.
Pattaya’s relationship with American service members on shore leave dates back to the Vietnam War era, when the small fishing town’s rapid growth was closely tied to visits from US military personnel. This week’s port call revives that history at a moment when the city is trying to balance a welcome economic boost against the same safety and exploitation concerns that have shadowed similar visits in the past.
