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» 27.06.09 Phuket's tourist population swells with American seamen |
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27.06.09 Phuket's tourist population swells with American seamen
Source: Phuketgazette
First port of call: US Military personnel change their dollars to baht before venturing onto the island.
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The
massive 208-meter stealth ship the USS New Orleans docked in Phuket. On
radar screens, the ship appears as just a 50-meter vessel.
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PHUKET:
The unprecedented arrival in Phuket of five US Navy ships at the same
time has given a boost to the island’s tourism industry and local
economy, with about 5,700 US sailors and marines enjoying R&R on
Phuket over the next few days.
The USS Boxer has returned
to Phuket while on an extended tour of duty that will have kept the
2,982 crew members away from home for nine months. The Boxer is joined by the USS Comstock with a crew of 857; the USS Gridley destroyer with a crew of 380; the USS Thatch guided missile destroyer with a crew of 217; and the massive 208-meter stealth ship the USS New Orleans amphibious transport vessel, with just over 1,000 crew members, about 10% of whom are female officers.
Benefiting
greatly from the steady stream of crew members venturing onto Phuket
island are numerous taxi and mini-van operators waiting dockside to
take visitors to entertainment areas such as Patong. According to one
of the crew members who spoke with the Gazette, taxi drivers
are charging an extortionate 2,000 baht per trip – about 1,400 baht
more than the price local expats would consider a reasonable fare.
Food
and souvenir vendors near the dock at the deep sea port are also
charging high prices for their wares. Small bottles of water that
usually sell for about ten baht each in convenience stores are sold on
the dockside for 20 baht each.
USS New Orleans Commander
Scott Davies said it was the ship’s first visit to Phuket. Mr Davies
explained that the USS New Orleans has expanded medical capabilities
and larger flight decks specifically designed for humanitarian
missions, and that the ship’s crew are well versed in such scenarios
from practice drills in the US.
When asked why Phuket was chosen
as a port of call for all five ships, Mr Davies explained that Phuket
was the destination of choice among crew members due to the island’s
diverse options in entertainment. That sentiment was confirmed by other
crew members who said that they always receive a warm welcome from the
locals in Phuket.
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