US troops welcomed to ‘Sin City’ Pattaya by ‘girl with snake’ and STD warning
American troops from the notorious USS Abraham Lincoln have been enjoying the Pattaya nightlife during their stay, with one group of military men enjoying the company of a woman with a massive, yellow snake
US troops were given a wild welcome to Thailand’s notorious party city of Pattaya – coming face-to-face with a woman brandishing a massive yellow snake.
A bizarre photograph shows four servicemen gathered around the woman in the street as the huge reptile sits wrapped around her neck and coils down her body. The four military men, who are pictured in casual outfits and holding cigarettes, appear totally relaxed around the at least 2m long reptile, in the photo posted of Thai news site Ejan.
The unusual encounter came as around 5,000 US service personnel descended on Pattaya after arriving aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
The sailors are expected to remain in the city until the end of the week, giving them several days to explore a destination famous around the world for its nightlife, massage parlours and thriving sex tourism industry.
They had reportedly spent a record 265 consecutive days aboard the aircraft carrier, where harsh conditions and apparent shortages have made headlines in recent weeks.
But despite thousands of sea-weary sailors arriving in town, some local businesses claim they are yet to see the spending bonanza they had hoped for.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
The owner of one popular massage parlour has urged the “wonderful” and “young” Americans to stop sightseeing and pay her staff a visit.
The unnamed matron appeared on Thai television channel Amarin to issue her unique call to arms, joking that her employees were “hungry” and could “starve” without more customers.
She said: “It would be great if they did – my staff are going to starve. We’re only getting one or two customers a day. They just walk around sightseeing.”
(Image: Youtube)
According to the business owner, the troops have so far preferred exploring the city and shopping to spending an hour inside a massage parlour.
She explained: “They’ve come to travel and shop. A massage takes time, so they don’t want one. It takes an hour, and they’re travelling together in groups of friends. They can’t just leave their friends and go off for a massage.”
The matron even joked that her workers could have their hands full if the “young and fit” sailors eventually answered her appeal, adding: “If the soldiers did come in, we might not be able to handle them all.”
The soldiers’ arrival has also been met with a warning over the potential spread of sexually transmitted diseases in Pattaya.
Pipatpong Fakfare, an associate professor at Bangkok University’s School of Humanities and Tourism Management, warned that the influx of thousands of visitors could “increase the likelihood of sexual exploitation and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases”.
