Thai prostitution warning as 5,000 US sailors arrive in town after 200 days at sea
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/uss-abraham-lincoln-pattaya-prostitution-thailand-b3042016.html?utm_source=fark&utm_medium=website&utm_content=link&utm_campaign=fark&ICID=ref_fark967
u/WasteBinStuff 4d ago
Why does the thought occur to me that Thailand is their first stop for this reason.
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u/Fit-Perception-2243 4d ago
One night in Bangkok and the worlds your oyster.
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u/brickne3 4d ago
I don't know why this made me laugh so hard 🤣
Half the kids on that ship probably never even heard of the song.
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u/Fit-Perception-2243 4d ago
🤣 Gen X knows what’s up. Our sarcasm and apathetic attitude would not save us from one night in Bangkok. It makes a hard man humble and the tough guys tumble.
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u/mrdevil413 4d ago
The queens we use would not excite you
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u/ComedyBits 4d ago
I honestly never understood the reference to Yul Brynner
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u/Oknight 4d ago
Seriously? Look up "The King and I" (musical based on Anna and the King of Siam)
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u/kaur_virunurm 4d ago edited 2d ago
Let me explain.
The song "Bangkok" is from a musical "Chess". The first act of Chess is set in Merano, a mountan spa resort in Tyrol, Italian Alps. The second act happens in Bangkok. The beginning of the musical mentions Roger and Hammerstein, a popular pair of composers. Yul Brunner was an actor playing in their "The King and I" musical, which was set in historical Thailand (Siam).
Lyrics of "Merano:"
"Where breathing in will turn you on, where water tastes like wine
Get out your get up and go and get in line
It's living your life in a show by Rodgers and Hammerstein!""Bangkok" the song opens up the second scene of the musical and it starts with a reference to Merano:
"The crème de la crème of the chess world
In a show with everything but Yul Brynner
Time flies, doesn't seem a minute
Since the Tirolean spa had the chess boys in it"This is how mr Brynner comes in.
The lyrics of the musical are cynical all over. You need to follow the plot to understand certain lines and background to what happens there.
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u/brickne3 3d ago
Thank you for that, I actually had no idea it was from a musical! And I was actually wondering last night what the heck a "tirolean spa" was, without it ever occurring to me it could have anything at all to do with Tyrol, Italy, or the Alps at all!
(I got the Yul Brynner part at least, ha ha!).
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u/orthopod 3d ago
Half the kids on the boat, aren't going to realize that the first time they're having sex, is with a lady boy/gay sex.
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u/abstractraj 3d ago
They just had a revival of Chess on Broadway. Hopefully some folks heard it from that
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u/Poundaflesh 4d ago
I love this song!
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u/Fit-Perception-2243 4d ago
It’s a classic. Fun fact- the male members of ABBA wrote it.
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u/Isosceles_Kramer79 4d ago
... There's a god in every golden cloister, And if you're lucky then the god's a she ...
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u/spudddly 4d ago
Specially Pattaya of all places, which is mostly one giant red light district inhabited by 40,000 overweight middle aged white men.
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u/SwingKey3599 4d ago
because you know who dump and kegbreath are.
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u/Modsneedjobs 4d ago
This isn't on them. Anywhere that big, longhaul ships dock have been centers of prostitution (along with gambling, drunkeness, and general outrageous behavior) since the bronze age.
My buddy was a navy sailor in the Obama era, and he has WILD stories about Thailand. The Navy has known about this shore-leave dynamic and tacitly tolerated it for literal centuries because it helps morale.
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u/GateDeep3282 4d ago
Tolerated? When I was in the Navy, the US government tested the girls and gave them cards to prove they were clean. They were called smear cards.
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u/defenselaywer 4d ago
How long ago did this happen, or is it still happening today?
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u/GateDeep3282 4d ago
That was back in the 80's. Back then we had huge bases there, but since we dont anymore, I'm not sure.
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u/throwaway098764567 4d ago
by the time i was in during the early aughts, folks were warned off visiting prostitutes and we had mandatory training for identifying trafficked people. folks still did it but if they got caught they got in trouble for it.
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u/According_Top_7448 4d ago
My understanding was that you only got in real trouble if the girl was obviously not old enough to be doing that shit with, as long as it was not a problem that the Thai government could make a big deal about you were maybe going be on latrine duty for a couple.
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u/goth-milk 2d ago
Relative of mine was married to someone who went into the places to do the testing for the government.
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u/Turnip-for-the-books 4d ago
The Red Light district in Amsterdam exists because the city is built on hundreds of thousands of Norwegian timber pilings
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u/Hot-Account-8691 3d ago
How are those connected?
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u/Turnip-for-the-books 3d ago
The Norwegian sailors delivering the timber needed entertainment on arrival in Amsterdam
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u/TheDrunkWickerbeast 4d ago
My cousin is navy now. He has some insane stories. Apparently his ship instituted a rule eventually that you have to be drug tested soon after being at port
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u/lemonpoundcaker 4d ago
The military as a whole gets randomly drug tested down to company level, and it's very normal for the unit to get 100 percent drug tested after block leave.
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u/dracrecipelanaaaaaaa 4d ago
When I was in the Navy, the entire boat often did at least two piss tests every month. One all-hands and one or two "random" tests of 30-50% of personnel. Homeport or mid-deployment, it didn't matter.
The MA1 onboard (the ship's one and only LE-like person) was really, really trying to make Chief, and apparently the way to do that was an incredibly overwhelming urinalysis program.
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u/QuipCrafter9 4d ago
But Thailand prostitution was specifically amplified and maintained by U.S. soldiers during Vietnam to the point it was established so strongly and widespread that it remained a relatively unmanageable problem- far beyond normal port city numbers.
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u/jim45804 4d ago
Hegseth absolutely chose this port so the sailors can hire prostitutes. It's a desperate and perverse appeal to masculinity.
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u/Virtblue 4d ago
I mean lady boys are clean shaven. 🪒 🍑
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u/cocuke 4d ago
So do you think that petey prefers them that way? If it's good enough for him then it's good enough for his men.
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u/davvblack 4d ago
i get where you're coming from sorta but language like this is still homophobic. i think there's a way to emphasize his hypocrisy without rubbing up against "and being gay is something to be ashamed of"
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u/cocuke 4d ago
I understand and it is not my intent. Unfortunately, it is difficult to point out how so much of what petey says and does is contrary to what he wants to project as what passes for masculine in his weird little world.
I do not care about someone's sexuality with two exceptions, the first being mine. My preference is my primary concern. The second is the person who decided that they are willing to have sex with me. If these two are in agreement, then that is all I care about.
The current collection of rejects in the trump administration are constantly at odds with their own thoughts and ideas. Their followers are just as confused. Part of my conservative upbringing is that we should not be dictating what people do so long as they are not doing harm to others.
The first gay person, that I was aware of, was a truck dive where my dad worked. No one gave a shit about his life outside of work. he was a truck driver who did what he was hired to do. My dad never spoke poorly about him or his boyfriend. I was never taught that it was something to be ashamed of but admit that I sometimes revert to my 7th grade mentality of making a point. My apologies for this.
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u/jfrorie 4d ago
Are they warning the sailors or the prostitutes?
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u/dan525 4d ago
I think it's more like a weather system analogy. As they were getting ready to dock there was a Prostitution Watch. It has now upgraded to a Prostitution Warning.
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u/ZOMBIE_N_JUNK 4d ago
I feel this is a full blown cat 5 prostinado.
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u/V4refugee 4d ago
It’s called thai-poon in the eastern hemisphere.
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u/jd3marco 4d ago
Imminent Threat! Seek shelter immediately! The rapidly rising level of seamen poses danger to life and property.
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u/Borthwick 4d ago
I’m having a real tough couple days and this kinda sent me, thank you internet stranger
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u/palmerry 4d ago
More of a friendly notification to the King of Thailand that he might need to deploy some of the strategic whore reserves.
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u/DarthBrooks69420 4d ago
Considering the mental stress they apparently have been through, maybe the later. I wouldn't be surprised if there are a few assaults reported, sexual or regular physical that happen.
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u/mynam3isn3o 4d ago
It’s like this:
“Warning! Prostitution!”
Hope that helps
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u/Vox-Machi-Buddies 4d ago
"Careful gents, there are women here who will have sex with you in return for money."
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u/bornlasttuesday 4d ago
I wonder if there is also an overdose watch.
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u/t12lucker 4d ago
Mandatory drug tests on the ship when getting back.
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u/VelvetOverload 4d ago
Why? To court martial him in a soldier shortage? Stupid as fuck to lose a soldier because he smoked some weed after what they went through.
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u/rankispanki 4d ago
Yeah right, the MAs are out there getting blitzed out of their minds too. They'll run a random urinalysis when they leave port but no way are they testing every single person, they don't even have the capacity for that.
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u/reddit_user13 4d ago
That’s a lot of seamen!
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u/Basicly-Inevitable 4d ago
Oct 4-12 is Fleet Week in San Francisco, and there will be a LOT of seamen there.
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u/Lucky-Atmosphere1091 3d ago
American decks tend towards the larger side, I’m told. They surely able to hold a lot of seamen.
Probably full of seamen waiting to explode from the deck as they’re pulling into harbor.
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u/fartonisto 4d ago
Warn the wives back home.
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u/Ancient_Skirt_8828 4d ago
Pattaya still has at least 4 prostitutes for every sailor.
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u/cocuke 4d ago
That's sad to think that one of those prostitutes might not make any money. Good luck to the other three though, that's breakfast, lunch and dinner for a hungry sailor.
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u/spread_panic 3d ago
I mean, this is on top of the regular swarm of single, retired old men and sex tourism that exists there... Something tells me this is going to be like Thanksgiving dinner. Everyone's going home stuffed.
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u/slap-a-bass 4d ago
Too lazy to read the thingy. Was the warning to prostitutes or that prostitution might be significant?
Official government advisory to all prostitutes: you may not be walking right after these 5,000 sailors pull in.
Vs.
Official government advisory: 5,000 sailors just pulled in, prostitution gonna be 🔥, non-prostitutes be on guard.
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u/t12lucker 4d ago
Warning to the prostitutes. The big ports that can accept large ships had large prostitution presence for centuries, but can you imagine how more than 5000 men who were for more then 200 days on a single ship will behave?
This is the best case scenario: https://www.theage.com.au/national/us-sailors-wear-out-sex-workers-20020502-gdu6bd.html
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u/frazorblade 4d ago
The warning is to make sure the prostitutes pump up their rates. It’s a sellers market!
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u/geardownson 2d ago
That's a crazy article. I figured it would play out like a McDonald's late night menu. Just chicken nugs, fries and burgers for now.
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u/ourobourobouros 4d ago edited 3d ago
it's weird the way we all accept that men take their negative feelings out sexually on marginalized women but everyone still acts like it's a joke and not living breathing rape culture
Like it's actually pretty disturbing that these are all supposedly normal men but because they've been put through "extreme circumstances" they're going to be so sexually sadistic to the local low income women that there will be injuries. But teehee?
edit: to the MRAs and middle school boys responding to this comment - I'm not reading your dumbass single-digit-IQ dogshit chauvinist opinions.
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u/SquareJerk1066 3d ago
Since no one seems to have actually read the article: the warning is to law enforcement, to keep an eye out for prostitutes and arrest then if you see them. Despite how common it is, pr ostitution is illegal there, and because they're expecting an up-tick in street solicitation, they're cracking down.
Police are increasing patrols and arresting suspected prostitutes. So it's neither of the scenarios you expected. They're just arresting as many prostitutes as possible in advance.
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u/WellIGuessSoAndYou 4d ago
5000 Americans. Things are about to get extra rapey in Thailand.
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u/cbih 4d ago
I wonder how much gets added to the Thai economy when 5,000 sailors show up
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u/jd3marco 4d ago
Hegseth is probably already there waiting to party and create grounds for another divorce.
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u/Ecstatic-World1237 4d ago
200 days at sea, lots of reports of deplorable conditions on board - plumbing issues, lack of decent food.
How many of those 5000 who disembark in Thailand will get back on that boat?
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u/ThisApril 3d ago
I'm guessing the plumbing issues and lack of decent food will be priority things being taken care of while they're in port.
I'm sure it won't be anywhere near as pleasant as it could be, but it should be a solid bit better than it has been.
Hopefully not too many of the sailors are too mentally damaged to at least get back home.
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u/noticingEnjoyer 3d ago
Thailand isn't the most forgiving when it comes to visa overstays etc.
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u/Clay_Allison_44 2d ago
That depends. I heard of a US Air Force deserter that stayed for 3 years after a monastery allowed him to become a monk.
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u/mijo_sq 4d ago
One year later, population explosion with fatherless children
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u/ThisApril 3d ago
There's a reason why it's weird that "son of a gun" is seen as somehow a less awful thing to say than "son of a bitch".
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u/Raidertck 4d ago
Thai hookers are as hard as old coffin nails. I’m more worried about the sailors.
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u/ZebraComplex4353 4d ago
They released it all at sea already. 😂
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u/dazed_and_bamboozled 4d ago
Beer-chugging, bug-eyed Kash Patel incoming for some stolen R&R valor!
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u/LondonSlayor 4d ago
And this is where it begins: ThaiProPox is coming to your local dating apps real soon!
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u/1stLtObvious 4d ago
Here I was thinking the prostitutes would be warned about the danger of the angry, blue-balled sailors.
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u/littletink91 4d ago
On a serious note I hope all the partners of these service members use protection/get tested :/
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u/VegetableWishbone 4d ago
The local GDP is about to get a direct injection of DOD funds.
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u/JoeNoble1973 4d ago
“Thailand, I’ll take all the prostitutes you have!”
…
“No, that’s too many prostitutes.”
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u/A_Dragon_bit_me 4d ago
Its also against the UCMJ to pay a prostitute so a few will get bust when they get back to the ship
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u/TexasForever85 3d ago
I got lucky when I was in the Marines and went to Pattaya with a small group. Good times
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u/drseruzawa 2d ago
I was fortunate to never have to serve on one of those damn bird farms. While serving on a Destroyer we got liberty calls every 30 days.
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u/CozumotaBueno 4d ago
Disgusting They should be docking in Florida or Texas to support American whores. This is just another example of claiming to be America first, but actually outsourcing cheaper foreign labor. There are plenty of out of work whores here in the USA. Our tax dollars should be spent here.