Two US sailors removed from Thai resort town after drunken brawl

BANGKOK - Two sailors from the US aircraft carrier making a port call to Thailand were sent back to the ship after a drunken altercation, Thai police said Sept 4.Police were alerted to a “small scuffle” involving the sailors in the early hours of Sept 3 near Pattaya’s nightlife hotspot Walking Street, city police chief Colonel Anek Srathongyoo told AFP.“The sailors were drunk and they were fighting, making loud noise,” he said.He described the incident as “trivial” and said local residents had only called police to prevent it from escalating.The unidentified sailors were not charged as “they did not violate any Thai law”, Anek said.The US Navy sent the pair back to the ship, he added.The USS Abraham Lincoln’s arrival has drawn global media interest after reports of deteriorating living conditions on board after more than 280 days at sea.It has also put the spotlight on Pattaya, a resort popular with foreign tourists with a reputation for its nightlife, including sex tourism.Authorities launched a crackdown on sex workers ahead of the ship’s visit, although they denied it was linked to the sailors’ arrival.The police chief told AFP there had been no other notable incidents since the Lincoln docked, and one Pattaya masseuse said it had been calmer than previous military port calls.Nattakamol Chartmontri, who has worked in Pattaya for several years, told AFP many of the sailors appeared “young, well-behaved and rule-abiding”.Pattaya businesses had been hoping for a windfall from the visit, which comes during low season, but Nattakamol, 48, said it had so far stayed quiet.“People on social media are so hyped about (the sailors), but actually, they have not made a significant difference to Pattaya businesses,” she said.US Democratic lawmakers called in August for an investigation into conditions on the Lincoln following reports of food shortages, broken plumbing and mental health crises.US President Donald Trump dismissed the concerns, which have fuelled criticism of his dragging war on Iran, although the Lincoln was replaced in the Middle East by the USS George Washington. AFP