US sailors sent back after Pattaya scuffle, police say

Two US sailors were sent back to their ship after a drunken altercation near Pattaya's Walking Street, Thai police said Friday.

Pattaya city police chief Colonel Anek Srathongyoo said police were called to a “small scuffle” involving the sailors in the early hours of Thursday near the Thai resort town's nightlife area.

“The sailors were drunk and they were fighting, making loud noise,” Anek said. He described the incident as trivial and said local residents had called police to keep it from escalating.

Anek said the unidentified sailors were not charged because they did not violate Thai law. He said the US Navy sent the pair back to the ship.

The sailors were from the USS Abraham Lincoln, whose arrival in Thailand has drawn attention after reports of deteriorating conditions on board following more than 280 days at sea.

Anek said there had been no other notable incidents since the aircraft carrier docked. Pattaya authorities had launched a crackdown on sex workers ahead of the visit, though they denied it was linked to the sailors' arrival.

Nattakamol Chartmontri, a Pattaya masseuse, said the visit had so far been calmer than previous military port calls and had not made a major difference to local businesses.