UP TO 6000 US military personnel will be arriving on Phuket from Sunday, and the island is ready and waiting. A cash injection is just what the revenue doctor ordered.

As with all of the US Navy visits to Phuket, an advanced team has been on the island, liaising with police and local authorities, smoothing the path for the crews of nuclear aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and two warships, USS Pinckney and USS Rentz.

Douglas H. Robinson, Chief of Naval Security, Force Protection Detachment, US Embassy in Bangkok, met with officials at Provincial Hall on Thursday and said everyone had been ''very accommodating and welcoming.''

''We are looking forward to a great visit,'' he added.

So is Patong and Phuket's needy businesses. The Phuket Navy League is playing an increasingly important role as the number of visits to Phuket by US warships increases.

Denny Bowman, secretary of the league, says: ''What usually happens is that there are shoreside parties for promotions, and the crews seem to like Phuket.''

Businesses affiliated with the league tend to win the opportunity to showcase what they have on offer to a tourist segment that is hard to beat for spending firepower.

Estimates of $1 million a day may be on the high side but the boost to Phuket's economy when the warships are at anchor is plain to see.

Open for the first time for a US Navy visit is Patong's Hard Rock Cafe, a friendly beacon for American sailors if ever there was one.

General Manager Urs ''Mee'' Mosimann says that reaction to the arrival of the Hard Rock has been ''awesome'' and exceeded expectations.

He expects the Navy visit may produce the kind of late-night audience that the venue would like to experience more often.

''Late nights overall in Patong are a bit of a challenge, especially for the upmarket venues,'' he said.

Contrary to the views of some old-time observers, daylight activities on Phuket are also extremely popular among Navy visitors. Briefings are usually given in advance about the dangers of jet-skis and tuk-tuks.

Personnel are advised not to hire vehicles, and to beware of touts and the katoey ladyboy invaders who usually accompany US Navy visits to Phuket.

It seems the old version of R&R and all it stood for has been quietly laid to rest by a new generation of better-behaved sailors, many of whom are women.

Douglas Robinson says: ''We have what we call MWR, which is morale, welfare, recreation.

''A lot of our sailors like to take the tours, they like to go out and experience the Thai food, they like to visit some of the bars and restaurant areas of town, go to the beach, take elephant rides.

''A lot of the sailors too are engaged in community relation projects.''

He expects Phuket to tally around 15 warship visits for the year following a pronounced increase in the frequency of visits that began in 2009.

''We tell our sailors when they come in to enjoy themselves, to be respectful and to understand the culture,'' he added.

''The police on Phuket have been fantastic in working with us to resolve these issues and we found these issues really haven't affected our ship visits because the police have worked so closely with us.

''We don't have too many concerns. When our sailors come, some tend to drink alcohol, which lets down their inhibitions, so there are sometimes problems there.

''The main concern on Phuket is that if a sailor drinks too much, he can find himself in trouble.''

Robinson, who was accompanied by Gregory S. Miller, new chief of the forces protection detachment in Thailand, has been in Bangkok for two years and spends ''20 or 30 weeks a year'' on Phuket.

''For me it's got everything one would need for a holiday or to live here,'' he said.

USS Nimitz, USS Pinckney and USS Rentz will be off Phuket from Sunday until February 4.

The Phuket Navy League is holding a welcome event for senior officers and crew from US vessels. 7pm-9pm, February 2, BBQ Hut Smokehouse, Rat-U-Thit Road, Patong (opposite the Mercure). Cost is 200 baht for members and 400 baht for visitors. E: info@navyleaguephuket.org