LAEM CHABANG
\nThousands of US sailors aboard an aircraft carrier departed from Thailand on Sunday, AFP journalists said, concluding its first port call following reports of deteriorating living conditions on board after nine months at sea.
\nThe 5,000-strong crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln docked just north of the resort town of Pattaya, near Bangkok, on Wednesday for five days of rest and recreation after a lengthy Middle East deployment.
\nAmid Thailand\u2019s tourism low season, their arrival raised hopes for businesses in Pattaya, a city known for its beaches and nightlife.
\nThe Lincoln departed from the port of Laem Chabang, a half-hour drive from Pattaya, at around 11:00am (0400 GMT), AFP journalists saw.
\n\u2018Everything went fine\u2019
\nDespite concerns about possible trouble, local police said Sunday that the port call ended largely without incident.
\n\u201cEverything went fine,\u201d Pattaya police chief Anek Srathongyoo told AFP.
\n\u201cThere were no arrests or arguments except on the first day when Americans had an argument among themselves,\u201d he said.
\nThe US Navy sent two sailors back to the Lincoln after a drunken altercation in the early hours of Thursday near Pattaya\u2019s nightlife hotspot Walking Street, the police chief said earlier.
\nHe had described the \u201csmall scuffle\u201d as \u201ctrivial\u201d and said local residents only called police to prevent the dispute from escalating.
\nLast month, US Democratic lawmakers called for an investigation into conditions on the Lincoln following reports of food shortages, broken plumbing and mental health crises.
\nPresident 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.
\nThe enlisted Americans were estimated to have spent up to 100 million baht ($3 million) during their visit, Pattaya Mayor Poramase Ngampiches said on Sunday.
\nIn addition, the city benefitted from \u201cselling other supplies such as toothpaste to the ship worth millions of baht (tens of thousands of US dollars)\u201d, Poramase told AFP.
\nMedia reports said sailors on the Lincoln had gone without basic toiletries, including toothpaste, deodorant and soap, at points during their deployment.
\nMany of the sailors and Marines spent their time on Thailand\u2019s coast shopping and visiting tourism sites, Poramase said.
\n\u201cIt shows that they are missing their families and want to buy some souvenirs for them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LAEM CHABANG Thousands of US sailors aboard an aircraft carrier departed from Thailand on Sunday, AFP journalists said, concluding its first port call following reports of deteriorating living conditions on board after nine months at sea. The 5,000-strong crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln docked just north of the resort town of Pattaya, near Bangkok, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":565914,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-565894","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-world"],"yoast_head":"\n