After spending more than 200 days at sea, the USS Abraham Lincoln, a massive warship, is now approaching the city of Pattaya, Thailand.

There are about 5,000 US soldiers on board the ship. They will come to this tourist city for rest and recreation. Just as the arrival of the soldiers is expected to boost local business, strict police surveillance has been strengthened across the city to deal with illegal sex trade and chaos.

Pattaya’s hotel and shop owners, who have been in a slump for a long time, are seeing the arrival of these soldiers as a positive. The local mayor believes that each soldier can spend about $30 to $91 a day, which will temporarily boost the city’s economy.

However, concerns have also been raised about the risk of sexual harassment and the spread of diseases with so many soldiers coming to the city at once. Although prostitution is legally prohibited in Thailand, it is quite open in Pattaya. So, before the US troops landed in the city, the police have increased patrols in the nightlife and beach areas. About 50 people have already been arrested in the raid.

The US warship set sail in November last year. Later, the ship had to stay there due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran in the Middle East.

Spending more than 200 consecutive days at sea has put a lot of mental pressure on the soldiers. Therefore, this trip to Pattaya is believed to help the soldiers relieve fatigue and mental stress.

Source: Independent.