USS Abraham Lincoln Docks in Thailand After Record Stint

Arrival at Laem Chabang

The US Navy aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln pulled into Laem Chabang port in Chonburi province, eastern Thailand, on Wednesday morning, giving a crew of about 5,000 sailors and Marines their first time ashore in months.

Al Jazeera reported that the destroyer USS Frank E Petersen Jr sailed past the area shortly before the carrier arrived, accompanied by other US naval vessels. By the afternoon, busloads of sailors and Marines in civilian clothes were arriving at a resort hotel in Pattaya, a coastal city 150km (93 miles) southeast of Bangkok.

The Guardian reported that Pattaya's mayor, police officials and women in traditional Thai dress waited at the city's Hard Rock Cafe and hotel to greet them. Crew were being released in staggered groups over several days.

A Deployment That Kept Growing

The BBC reported that the carrier left San Diego last November on what was meant to be a six-month assignment in the Pacific and South China Sea, but was diverted to the Gulf after the US and Israel began military operations against Iran in late February. Al Jazeera said the ship had been anchoring the US naval blockade and combat operations during that war.

Accounts of the length of the stint differ. The BBC described a record 250 days at sea without a port stop, the Guardian's headline said 270 days, and Al Jazeera put it at nine and a half months. All three describe it as record-setting.

Members of Congress recently raised concerns about reports of food shortages, broken toilets and mental stress on board, according to the BBC. The US Navy acknowledged that conditions had been tough but said the crew were sufficiently well supported, and declined to comment on the Pattaya stop, citing operational security.

Al Jazeera reported that US President Donald Trump had rejected concerns raised by crew families for weeks, telling reporters at Joint Base Andrews that the ship had not been at sea "nearly long enough". Asked about that, the Lincoln's commanding officer, Captain Dan Keeler, said: "So, the president speaks for himself." Keeler said the ship's rust patches and worn hull were "normal for a long deployment".

Pattaya and the Vietnam War Legacy

Pattaya was once a fishing village and was transformed during the Vietnam War by American troops using military bases in Thailand, the Guardian reported. Pipatpong Fakfare, an associate professor specialising in tourism at Bangkok University, said the US military turned it into a global nightlife destination in about 15 years.

The BBC said this is probably the largest number of US military personnel to arrive in Pattaya straight from a war zone since the fall of Saigon in 1975. Thailand is a treaty ally of the US, and port visits are routine.

Officials are trying to manage the visit. Mayor Poramet Ngampichet said the Soi 6 alley and the neighbouring area would be off-limits to crew after sunset, per the Guardian, while Walking Street put up a neon sign welcoming the ship.

Local traders hope for a boost. "This visit could be our best hope," gem seller Anon Saiteer told the BBC, which reported that the Iran War has hit tourism and spending in the city. Rear Admiral Robert E Loughran, commander of Carrier Strike Group 3, said the stop offered a well-deserved chance to rest and recharge.