Five thousand sailors and Marines just reached Thailand after spending 286 consecutive days at sea. And before they even arrived, Pattaya was already laying down rules. USS Abraham Lincoln pulled into Laem Chabang today for a five-day port visit after an incredibly long Middle East deployment. There are roughly 5,000 personnel aboard. Thai officials estimate around 3,000 could spend time overnight in Pattaya. And if you've ever served in the Navy or Marine Corps... you already know why the internet thinks this is hilarious. Because we're talking about PATTAYA. But authorities are taking the visit pretty seriously. Several nightlife streets have been designated off-limits. Certain businesses are off-limits. Water activities are restricted. Sailors can still visit Walking Street, but they have to leave by 2 a.m. Police patrols have been increased. Local businesses have even been warned not to suddenly jack up prices because thousands of Americans are coming into town. And all of this is happening before you consider what these sailors just went through. Reuters reports USS Abraham Lincoln spent 286 CONSECUTIVE DAYS at sea. Think about that. Nine months. Months supporting combat operations. Almost no normal liberty. Thousands of sailors and Marines living aboard the same floating city every single day. Then finally somebody says: Good news. You're getting off the ship. Where are we going? Thailand. Where in Thailand? PATTAYA. And Reddit immediately exploded. Former sailors and Marines started telling stories about previous Thailand liberty calls. People familiar with Pattaya started wondering what thousands of service members arriving at once might look like. Now obviously, Navy liberty doesn't mean everybody just walks off the ship and does whatever they want. Some sailors stay aboard on duty. There are liberty rules. There are restricted locations. There is local law. And if you get yourself into trouble ashore, you've still got your chain of command waiting for you afterward. But after 286 days at sea? I understand why people are fascinated by this one. So Navy and Marine Corps people: If you've actually done liberty in Pattaya, I need you in the comments. Is this the greatest possible place to send sailors after nine months at sea... or the absolute WORST? #navy #deployment #thailand #military #miltok - @themastersausage