Thailand's Pattaya anticipates USS Abraham Lincoln visit

PATTAYA, Thailand -- Thousands of American service members are about to descend on eastern Thailand, as the USS Abraham Lincoln makes a port call near the city of Pattaya, famous for its beaches and nightlife.The aircraft carrier sailed past Singapore over the weekend on its way back to the U.S. after a lengthy deployment in the Middle East as part of the U.S. war against Iran.The Lincoln is expected to dock at a port in Chonburi province this week, according to Thai officials.More than 5,000 American service members are onboard and many are expected to visit Pattaya, according to the city's Mayor Poramet Ngampichet, who hopes the port call will boost the local economy. He said destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. will dock at a different port.“For Pattaya to be seen as an important vacation spot is something that we have aimed for,” Poramet said. “We welcome more visits of the troops in the future, whether for a drill or a vacation, before they go back to the U.S.”After meeting with American officials Monday, Poramet shared that the service members will be banned from certain recreational activities such as parasailing and marijuana use. Medical cannabis was legalized in Thailand i...