The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln has docked in Pattaya, Thailand, after nearly 300 days at sea. The crew had a five-day shore leave in the city known for party vacations and sex tourism. It was only through US soldiers in the Vietnam War that Pattaya became a “sin metropolis”.

The US Navy aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln was underway for 286 days in a row. Around 5,000 soldiers have been on the move since November 21, 2025. The crew was initially deployed to deter China and as an exercise in the Indo-Pacific. However, with the outbreak of the Iran War at the beginning of the year, the location of operations changed. Since then, the USS Abraham Lincoln has been involved in naval blockades as a result of the war. The soldiers were originally supposed to return to the USA around May of this year.

A few weeks ago shocking news reached usReportsabout the condition of the aircraft carrier to the public. A soldier is said to have jumped from the railing and was rescued. Others were prevented from doing so. Relatives report that the people on board had suicidal thoughts, but the US Navy denied this through official channels. In addition, the soldiers on board are said to have reported shortages of medical care and food. Various diseases are said to have spread.

In addition, the hull of the ship is full of rust due to long use. Removing this completely is likely to take longer than the five day break. Cleaning the hull is particularly time-consuming and one of the most unpopular tasks for soldiers in the Navy.

US Navy crisis in the Iran war: suicide attempts and inadequate care

Pattaya was hoping for tourism money

The coastal town, which is popular with international tourists, hoped that the 5,000 visitors would boost the local economy in the off-season. Projections were for $3 million in revenue to be generated from the shore leave. Among other things, also through thesaleof hygiene products such as toothpaste.

The visit to the city is officially subject to strict rules that those responsible for the navy had previously agreed with the Thai authorities. The Navy should not be allowed to visit the red light district, with the exception of “Walking Street,” which is known for, among other things, prostitution. But only until two in the morning. Consuming cannabis, entering pharmacies and water sports activities are also taboos for US military personnel. In order to control this, the police presence in certain places should, among other things, be increased. In addition, dozens of prostitutes from a street prostitute were arrested by the local police in advancecustodytaken.

TheAgreementscomply with official military rules that officially prohibit the use of prostitution. But they also comply with Thai laws, such as the ban on e-cigarettes and vapes. The city feared difficulties in dealing with visitors.

At the beginning of the shore leave there was a fight between two sailors at night, as a result of which the police were called. Afterwards they both had to stay on the ship. In addition, residents of the city reported no inappropriate behavior. Among videos that will show the army members dancing in clubscommented, that they would seem like “rich kids who just wanted to go to war.”

R&R: Tradition of the US Military

Around 28 million tourists visit Pattaya every year. Until the middle of the last century, the city was just a small fishing village. Today Pattaya is in thepressalso known as “Sin City” (German: “Sin Metropolis”). This is particularly due to the “sex tourism” that is prominent there.

Although prostitution is illegal under Thai law, it is practiced openly in many places. Especially in the capital Bangkok and Pattaya. The number of prostitutes varies. Some estimates range from 50,000 to 200,000 people. Many of them are victims of international trafficking in women and are sometimes brought to Thailand from other countries as “exotic women”.

The history of established prostitution in Thailand dates back to the 20th century. As a result of the Vietnam War, the government of Thailand approved the establishment of several US military bases on site. In addition, measures have been taken to make cities such as Pattaya so-called “Rest and recreationAreas” (R&R). One component of this was the legalization of prostitution.

Never forget: The “Comfort Women” statue in Berlin must stay!

The number of prostitutes increased during these years. Particularly well-known forms were, on the one hand, women who played the wife of a soldier for a month until he left Thailand again. There was also prostitution in brothels, where the women were sold to soldiers for a fee. Often they were women from poor farming families.

By staying in Pattaya, the crew of the aircraft carrier was supposed to be distracted from the unacceptable conditions of the ship and the war crimes committed, similar to the soldiers several decades ago. The aircraft carrier is now scheduled to head for the US port of San Diego on its journey home and arrive in the middle of the month.

Global (sex) tourism to Pattaya

However, business did not stop with the end of the Vietnam War in 1973. Rather, tourism to Pattaya expanded globally. Prostitution became an attraction for predominantly male tourists. Also travel agencies from Germanyadvertisedaround the 1980s for tours by men traveling alone to Thailand. The services of Thai women were significantly cheaper than prices for prostitutes in Germany.

As tourism numbers rose, so did the numbers at brothels and massage rooms. From a fishing village with 1,000 inhabitants around 1950, Pattaya grew into a large city with 120,000 inhabitants in just under 50 years.

The authorities in Thailand are now trying to improve Pattaya's reputation and attract more families or nature lovers to Pattaya. But a decisive action by the authorities against prostitution would probably be accompanied by a severe loss of income due to predominantly male, sometimes wealthy, tourists staying away.

The postUSS Abraham Lincoln: 5,000 soldiers dock in the “sin metropolis” of Pattayaappeared firstperspective.