Source Pattaya Ghost:

A Pattaya port call scheduled for this month by a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier group is now in danger of being canceled due to escalating chaos stemming from the week-long occupation of Bangkok's Government House by the People's Alliance for Democracy. The U.S. embassy put out word over the weekend that aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and destroyer USS Russell were set to arrive at Laem Chabang port, near Pattaya, for a four-day "rest and relaxation" visit sometime this month. No date was specified, but now embassy sources say the visit may not happen due to Monday's declaration of a state of emergency in Bangkok and spreading strikes by transportation and utility unions across the nation.

Cancellation would deal a huge blow to Pattaya's local economy. With more than 6,000 horny (edit by hendrix) sailors, marines and aviators on the two vessels, spending by U.S. military forces could easily approach 200 million baht for the four-day visit. Bar and restaurant owners ravaged by this year's low season say the port call could carry them for all of September, traditionally the slowest month of the year.

Iam not sure if iam the only one to notice. In recent times I've found U.S service men

fairly tight. In June I remember talking to a few blokes and they said they were keen to get

on the sauce but now days their leave is heavily policed by their heirachy. Large penalities

are given out to any one making an idiot of themselves as they represent the U.S armed forces.

Still Iam sure there is not one business owner out there who won't welcome them with open

arms and the money they bring. We certainly need it these days.

^ The 7\11 s love them!

Looking at some of the folk wondering around town, I would say the advance party is already here.They invaded Tukcom in force yesterday.

Hard to miss with the "buddy" system they use at the beginning of ant shore leave.

I don't know who I feel worse for, the horny sailors or the Pattaya business people.

Let's hope the PAD planned for the subsequent blow to the tourism economy they are causing (NOT). "State of Emergency" doesn't exactly help to sell plane tickets to Thailand. Now it even looks like the Navy will have to change their slogan to "Join the Navy, see the world" to "Join the Navy, see all of the world except Thailand".

It is strange that there is nothing of the "state of emergency" incident mentioned on the travel.state.gov website - seemingly, the most anti-travel website you could imagine.

Good idea for Iraq ... Americans will leave the country ??

Actually there's a lot more to that story. Lot of details on how tourism in Patts and elsewhere is being affected. Here's the link, as it was not in the OP.

http://www.pattayaghost.com/2008/09/03/us-...y-pad-protests/

As an ex Air Force guy and still somewhat tuned in to the US military, I can assure you that the Military is very strict on shore leave. There have been so many instances of drunken fights, stabbings, killings and rapes. Probably no more than happened decades ago, but the politics and news coverage is much more intense now. The grunts are really punished if they get in any kind of trouble. I got out in 1992 and was in since 1982. During the Reagan years, things got really straight. The US Navy had its tailgate, and since then the USAF had its academy scandal, the US Army had its barracks scandal. I couldn't even begin to list the national news level of US servicemen allegedly involved in serious rape and kidnap and killing cases in Japan, the Philippines, Korea etc.

The old days of losing a stripe or two or getting docked some pay is gone. Even though the Military has serious retention problems, it is pretty much a one mistake service.

Wasn't Cobra Gold in Thailand earlier this year?

Cobra Gold is on in Thailand every year!

Oh what a shame, 6000 less septics in town

Cobra Gold is on in Thailand every year!

During May right?

Oh what a shame, 6000 less septics in town

Yeah, I'll bet the merchants are jumping with joy at this thought.

Update: The visit is on. Expect the seamen to arrive on Friday.

(insert your own joke here)____________________________.

Whatever views one holds about the USN presence, it always make an effort to engage in some community activity like repairing a school or helping a charity. The benefit of an aircraft carrier visit is that it is a full of valuable qualified tradespeople. Sure it can be dismissed as PR, but the men and women that volunteer to participate do want to leave behind an impression other than debauchery.

Last time they were here they built a wall at the school in Huay Yai, a lot of fun and well done!!

Update: The visit is on. Expect the seamen to arrive on Friday.

(insert your own joke here)____________________________.

Seamen can be spelled 2 ways - and that will arrive on Friday as well.

That is great news for the local economy.

Update: The visit is on. Expect the seamen to arrive on Friday.

(insert your own joke here)That would be about the same time as the sailors arrive!