Thailand steps up sex-worker raids as USS Abraham Lincoln set to dock with 5,000 sailors in Pattaya

The US Navy aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln sails past Singapore. (AP Photo) The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier is set to dock near Thailand’s Pattaya on Wednesday, bringing nearly 5,000 sailors and Marines to the popular tourist city, as local authorities step up police patrols and crack down on sex workers.Thai officials said the sailors will be allowed to rest and recuperate after spending more than 200 days at sea. Shore leave will be staggered, meaning personnel are unlikely to leave the ships all at once.Police have increased patrols around Pattaya's beachfront and nightlife areas and conducted raids over the weekend. Officials said between 40 and 50 people were detained for suspected prostitution.According to Reuters, Pattaya police chief Anek Srathongyoo said authorities were facing difficulties in preventing solicitation. “We are doing our best, but it is difficult,” Srathongyoo said, adding that sex workers could “solicit in public areas without the knowledge of the authorities.”Prostitution is illegal in Thailand, although the sex industry remains highly visible in major tourist destinations such as Pattaya and parts of Bangkok.The arrival of thousands of US p...