My night out with US sailors in Thailand’s ‘Sin City’
After 286 days at sea, US navy sailors disembarked the USS Abraham Lincoln as it docked in Pattaya, Thailand's notorious party town, and headed to the heart of the action: the infamous Walking Street.
Here, inside Lucifer nightclub, in the city's nightlife district, they let loose for the first time in nine months. Bar staff in flashing red devil horns poured drinks and a DJ blasted club classics as sailors jumped onto the stage to dance.
Others embraced the surreal scene on the street outside, where a little money made it possible to hold an owl, drape a live python over your shoulders or fire a gun at a roadside shooting range.
Dozens of scantily clad young women lined the street.
One group of sailors settled on a ball game, where they had to hit a target to release a fold-down seat which dropped two women into a water tank. The slogan "I want to get wet" was written in big letters on the tub.
For many of the 5,000 crew who had been cooped up onboard, the racy, neon-lit bars on Walking Street were an obvious target.
"This was exactly what we needed," one told The Telegraph, smoking a cigarette outside in the early hours.
"After so much work, it's good to have some relaxing time. We work in shifts, so we did have time off – but not like this," the 24-year-old added, before disappearing into a go-go bar that advertised exotic Russian dancers resembling Marilyn Monroe.
The troops' marathon stint at sea has become emblematic of the pressure the war in Iran has put on the US military.
Last November, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier left California for a six-month assignment in the South China Sea, only to then be diverted to the Gulf in January, before the conflict began.
As the voyage was repeatedly extended, concerns mounted about conditions on board and the impact on the crew's mental health. Sailors, their families and American politicians criticised the ship's intense schedules, cramped quarters, mouldy showers and shortages of basic supplies.
One sailor threw themself overboard.
But on Pattaya's main drag – where a large sign welcomed the sailors and bars offered 10 per cent discounts for anyone with a military ID – it was party time.
As the DJ sang: "I want to make love right now, now, now," a group of 10 sailors jumped on stage, performing dance moves, from the "sprinkler" to the can-can. Others at the bar bought whisky and coke, or Leo beer, for local women.
Most sailors were tight-lipped about life on board, having received strict orders not to speak to reporters.
They were also all too aware of the men and women roaming town in navy polo tops emblazoned with SLG – the "Shore Liaison Group". They were the "babysitters", there to remind people to behave, one said at a post with Thai police officers.
"They said to tell you we're just tourists," a man with a characteristic military moustache said in a bar, before knocking back a shot of an unidentified white liquor. "What even was that?" he asked afterwards, raising an eyebrow at his three crew mates as they all recoiled from the taste.
Further along the road another sailor was nonchalant: "Well, you hardly expect a five-star cruise, this is the navy," he said, before refusing to give his name. He joked it was probably something "very American", such as Todd.
His crew mate did, however, concede that being on land was an "indescribable" feeling.
However, he wasn't sure about the more explicit elements of Thai nightlife. "That is not okay!" he exclaimed, as hawkers approached with graphic leaflets advertising ping pong and sex shows.
This is the sort of nightlife that Pattaya has become notorious for, a reputation developed since US soldiers on rest and recreation breaks during the Vietnam War helped transform it from a sleepy fishing village into a seedy "Sin City".
Although prostitution is technically illegal in Thailand and the city is trying to overhaul its image, it is perhaps best known as a hotspot for sex tourism.
Pipatpong Fakfare, an associate professor specialising in tourism at Bangkok University, said: "The city has tried to change its image to be a family-friendly destination. A visit like this pulls attention right back toward the old identity, even if only for a few days."
On Wednesday, to the credit of the sailors, the Pattaya police told The Telegraph no incidents involving US servicemen had been reported. Everyone who spoke to this paper was polite, even when legless with drink.
The raucous celebrations were not for everyone.
Early on Thursday, before the heat and humidity set in, some sailors chose another way to mark their freedom: a morning run.
Others said they wanted to see the "real Thailand". Patrick – who spoke to The Telegraph while buying a Pattaya-themed water bottle in Starbucks – said he planned to try Thai food, visit local temples and perhaps even go to Bangkok for a few days.
But while the temporary relief from duties was welcome, like many others, his mind was really somewhere else.
"I'm just ready to be back [home]," he said. "I miss my family; that's definitely been the hardest part."
Topic: Thailand's a good shop spot cause the $ goes farther there & for Lincoln cabin (Read 50 times)