Over 5,000 sailors and Marines have arrived in the Thai resort city for their first shore leave in 286 days
3-MIN READ3-MIN1 ListenAidan JonesPublished: 7:20pm, 2 Sep 2026Updated: 7:29pm, 2 Sep 2026At Risa’s Massage, Fai cancelled her holiday to be at work this week; suitmaker Tito has laid on a made-in-24-hours special for US Navy visitors and hawker Pui is aiming to sell 15 watches in the five days the USS Abraham Lincoln will be in Pattaya.
It is a timely visit for the US crew – and an economic tonic for a city facing a sharp drop in tourism, partly caused by the war being fought by those aboard the aircraft carrier.
Outside the Hard Rock Hotel, which is hosting some of the US servicemembers, Pui Kanda was among the cluster of taxi drivers, hawkers and other hopefuls waiting for them to hit the city.
“It’s been very quiet in Pattaya. We have had few visitors this low season so I’m hoping to make some money from these American sailors,” she said, showing her wooden display box of timepieces.
