PATTAYA, Thailand – Pattaya has welcomed a surge in activity following the arrival of US Navy personnel from the USS Abraham Lincoln, with sailors spreading out across the city to shop, dine and visit tourist attractions beyond the nightlife scene. Pattaya Mayor Poramet Ngampichet said the visit had created a noticeably lively atmosphere, with US sailors travelling around the city in groups and individually and visiting a wide range of destinations, including cultural attractions and other tourist sites.
He said Pattaya has around 200,000 hotel rooms and welcomed more than 20 million visitors last year, giving the city ample capacity to accommodate large numbers of foreign visitors.
Koh Larn alone attracts an average of 5,000 to 10,000 visitors a day, demonstrating the island’s ability to handle heavy tourist traffic and making Pattaya well placed to welcome visiting US Navy personnel.
Poramet said the arrival of the sailors was also an opportunity for Pattaya to showcase its infrastructure and readiness to accommodate international visitors. He urged residents, businesses and tourism operators to act as good hosts and protect Pattaya’s reputation, particularly in the age of social media.
Tourists should not be overcharged or taken advantage of, he said, warning that Pattaya is increasingly under the scrutiny of visitors and social media users around the world. The mayor called on everyone to give personnel from the USS Abraham Lincoln a warm welcome and help create a positive impression that could encourage them to return to Pattaya in the future. If you want, I can make this more punchy and Pattaya Mail-style, with a stronger headline such as “Pattaya Smiles as US Sailors Shop, Dine and Tour Across the City.”
