Two US sailors were sent back to their aircraft carrier after getting involved in a drunken altercation in Pattaya, Thailand, according to Thai police.
Police were alerted after a "small scuffle" involving the sailors in the early hours of Thursday near Pattaya's nightlife hotspot Walking Street, city police chief Pol Col Anek Srathongyoo told Agence France-Presse (AFP), as cited by the Bangkok Post.
The sailors were members of the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln, a US aircraft carrier that was making a port call in Thailand.
According to Anek, the sailors had been drinking and began fighting while making a loud noise, which prompted local residents to contact the police as they feared that the incident could escalate. The police chief described the incident as minor and stated that the sailors were not charges as they did not violated Thai law.
Anek stated that the US Navy subsequently sent both the sailors back to the ship. The identities of the sailors were not disclosed in the reports.
The incident occurred shortly after the USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in Thailand as part of a port visit, bringing thousands of US service members to Pattaya. The carrier arrived at Laem Chabang on September 2, according to reports cited by Euronews, which also noted the significant international attention surrounding the ship's visit.
The authorities had launched a crackdown on sex work in Pattaya ahead of the ship's arrival, although the police denied that the operation was connected to the sailors' visit.
Anek told AFP that no other major incidents involving the visiting sailors had been reported since the USS Abraham Lincoln docked in Thailand. The latest altercation therefore appears to have been treated as an isolated incident, with no criminal charges reported against the two sailors.
The carrier's visit also attracted additional scrutiny because of reports concerning conditions aboard the ship following an extended deployment.
The carrier had spent more than 280 days at sea, while US Democratic lawmakers had called for an investigation into reports of food shortages, plumbing issues, and mental health crises among personnel.
US President Donald Trump dismissed those concerns amid a wider criticism of his administration's handling of the conflict involving Iran.
ALSO READ: US Military Denies Reports Of Sailor Deaths, Health Concerns Aboard USS Abraham Lincoln
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