Shopping to bar-hopping: USS Abraham Lincoln sailors unwind in Thailand after 250-day voyage
Nearly 5,000 sailors from the USS Abraham Lincoln visited Pattaya, Thailand, for shore leave following a 250-day deployment. While the city is known for its nightlife and sex industry, many sailors focused on shopping and recreation after their long confinement at sea.
Why it matters
The visit highlights the intersection of military logistics, international tourism, and the economic impact of US naval presence in Southeast Asian port cities.
Figure caption, Watch: Why US troops have a history in this raucous Thai city
Far from hitting the bars and fleshpots of the Thai beach resort of Pattaya, in their first hours onshore most of the nearly 5,000 sailors from the USS Abraham Lincoln seemed determined to go shopping.
At the Hard Rock Hotel – one of two beachside hotels where they were able to stay off the ship – they hung around clutching their recent purchases. But perhaps, after a record 250 days confined inside a grey steel warship, the normality of a trip to the mall might have been just what they needed.
With their military haircuts, moustaches and navy t-shirts, they stood out against the usual Pattaya crowd in its flip-flops and beachwear.
Image source, Reuters Image caption, US sailors arrived in Thailand on Wednesday
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