Thai police responded to an emergency call from a Thai citizen involving two American service members assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln who were involved in a physical fight outside of a bar in Pattaya at 1:30 a.m. on Thursday morning near the city’s famous Walking Street, a hub for nightlife, the Pattaya police superintendent told MS NOW.

In an interview, Col. Anek Srathongyoo called the incident “minor” but said the sailors were drunk and the Thai citizen who called the police was concerned that the brawl would escalate without intervention.

Thai police and members of the ship’s shore liaison group were dispatched by the Thai emergency call center to the incident. Two Americans were taken to the joint operations center run by the U.S. Navy and Thai local authorities at the Hard Rock Cafe in Pattaya. 

Srathongyoo said the Americans were then taken back to the aircraft carrier, and in the daily meeting between U.S. Navy officials and Thai authorities to discuss security incidents and response, Navy officials told him those two service members have now been restricted to the ship for the rest of the port call.

Navy officials in Washington, Japan and Thailand have not responded to requests for comment about the incident from MS NOW.

Srathongyoo said that Thai police will only arrest an American service member if there is an incident involving a Thai citizen or if they break Thai law. He said he emphasized that to Navy officials and feels satisfied that the crew of the Lincoln was properly briefed on the consequences of their actions. 

This is the only security incident Thai police are aware of relating to American service members during this port call so far, Srathongyoo said.

The alcohol-related incident comes as the 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard the beleaguered Lincoln are getting the first liberty port call of their more than nine-month deployment. 

The crew has been involved in intense combat operations in the Iran war since it began in February, and the conditions on board came under scrutiny after family members of the sailors spoke out about food and supply shortages, as well as low morale and physical exhaustion. 

Before stopping at port in Thailand, the commanding officer of the Lincoln had told the crew that there were some places in Pattaya that were off limits and that crew members were forbidden from activities like engaging in prostitution and using marijuana, according to a source familiar with the briefing who was granted anonymity to describe internal instructions. Service members were also told that any infraction of the rules would be met with the maximum punishment. 

Srathongyoo said Thai police have set up extra patrols at six strategic checkpoints around the city to respond to any incidents related to the influx of Americans from the ship. He says Pattaya is a vacation spot and is accustomed to hosting foreigners.

The Lincoln is expected to depart Thailand on Sunday and is heading back to its home port of San Diego. 

Priya Sridhar reported this story from Pattaya, Thailand. Pratch Rujivanarom contributed to this report.

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