A pair of U.S. service members have been sent back to the USS Abraham Lincoln after a drunken fight in Thailand, where the aircraft carrier is currently at port following a record 286 days at sea, according to a new report.
The service members, who have not been identified, will now be confined to the ship for the remainder of the five-day stint in Pattaya, a sea-side resort town known as the country’s “Sin City.”
On Thursday morning, a Thai citizen placed an emergency call reporting that two U.S. service members had gotten into a physical altercation near a town bar at 1:30 a.m., MS NOW reported, citing local police. After Thai police responded, the Americans were brought to a U.S.-Thailand joint operations center situated in the town’s Hard Rock Cafe before being transferred back to the aircraft carrier.
Speaking to the outlet, a Thai official described the incident as “minor.” He added that the service members were drunk and that the emergency caller was worried the altercation might intensify.
The Independent has contacted the Navy for comment.
The USS Abraham Lincoln, a Nimitz-class carrier, made port in Pattaya on Wednesday, following a nearly nine-month period at sea, during which it supported the ongoing Iran war. The deployment, which began in November, had initially been expected to end in May.
The massive vessel became the subject of national headlines after reports emerged of supply shortages and mental health struggles among the 5,000 sailors and Marines on board.
Several service members even attempted to jump overboard, family members told The Military Times. “His 13-year career is ruined, just like that,” said the wife of one sailor who, according to her, tried to leap from the ship and is now on medical hold.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described reports of poor conditions as “completely misrepresented” last month.
“I have more respect and gratitude for those sailors than anybody,” he told reporters. “What they do in those high seas in those austere conditions with less port calls – it's incredible.”
The service members assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln will now have until this weekend to relax in Pattaya, a town renowned for its nightlife. Its main street is dotted with clubs, go-go bars, tattoo shops and sex workers — though prostitution is illegal in Thailand.
"Our arrival in Laem Chabang provides a well-deserved opportunity for our Sailors and Marines to rest and recharge," Rear Admiral Robert Loughran said in a statement.
Some service members — decked out in civilian clothes — were seen drinking beer, paying a few bucks to handle exotic snakes and heading to a chain offering a taste of home: Burger King, The Wall Street Journal reported. “Feels great,” one of them said while disembarking from the aircraft carrier.
Shakeira Fairfax said she flew to Thailand from New Jersey to greet her 25-year-old daughter, a service member assigned to the Lincoln. “I just can't wait to see her smile. I can't wait to hear 'Mom', I know that's the first thing she's gonna say,” Fairfax told Reuters.
The city had been preparing for the port call for days, with Mayor Poramet Ngampichet saying he hopes that the visit will bolster the local economy.
Still, he cautioned that some activities would be out of reach for American sailors and Marines, including using marijuana and parasailing, The Associated Press reported. Any service members who break the law, he added, will be prosecuted.
A Navy official told the BBC that American personnel will “conduct themselves in accordance with US law, US naval regulations, and the laws of Thailand.” As sailors departed the ship this week, a commanding officer could be heard saying: “Please be on your best behavior.”
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