The USS Abraham Lincoln docked at a resort in Pattaya, Thailand, after more than 250 days at sea and an extended deployment in the Middle East. The carrier gave the roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines on board a chance to rest before heading home. It was the ship’s first full port stop since the start of the deployment.
The vessel left its home port of San Diego last November and was redirected to the Middle East to support military operations. The lengthy deployment ended after reports highlighted deteriorating mental health among the crew and a shortage of supplies. In August, the carrier was relieved by the USS George Washington.
Ahead of the ship’s arrival on Wednesday, Pattaya authorities launched a crackdown on prostitution. Police detained 40‑50 people during raids over the weekend and began additional patrols along the main beachfront and in the nightlife district. Once a fishing village, Pattaya grew into a tourism centre during the Vietnam War, when American servicemen were stationed at nearby bases. The city has since struggled with a reputation for sex tourism, an image it has tried to shed over the years.
The American embassy in Bangkok confirmed the carrier’s arrival. The strike group entered Laem Chabang port, while the destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. docked at nearby Sriracha and the guided‑missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls arrived in Map Ta Phut, Rayong province. “Abraham Lincoln’s visit to Laem Chabang is a clear demonstration of our enduring commitment to our allies and partners in Thailand, and we are all very excited to make Thailand the first port visit on our historic deployment,” said Captain Dan Keeler, the carrier’s commanding officer. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed back on claims of poor conditions aboard the carrier, calling them “completely misrepresented.”
