Thailand’s sun-soaked coastal resort city of Pattaya welcomed busloads of crew members from the U.S. Navy’s USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier on Thursday, marking the first shore stop for the strike group after an unprecedentedly long deployment supporting American operations in the Middle East. The nuclear-powered carrier spent a historic 264 consecutive days at sea before docking at Laem Chabang port in Chonburi province on Wednesday, capping a total deployment of 286 days to date, per official figures from the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok. Two other vessels in the Lincoln’s strike group are also anchored across Thailand: the destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. is docked at Sriracha port in Chonburi, while the cruiser USS Robert Smalls is stationed at Map Ta Phut in adjacent Rayong province. This extended uninterrupted deployment, which broke previous records for U.S. Navy operations, sparked public concern last month over mounting mental health strain among crew members and critical food supply shortages on board. While U.S. Navy officials sought to minimize reports of these challenges, former President Donald Trump drew widespread attention when he publicly stated the deployment was “not nearly long enough.” For most crew members stepping off the buses carrying them from the port to central Pattaya, the mood after months at sea was one of eager relief. Loaded down with personal luggage, several service members told the Associated Press they were thrilled to explore the Thai resort city. One sailor described the lengthy deployment as “alright” when asked, but declined to share additional comments. Local vendors and tour operators turned out in force outside the Hard Rock Hotel, the designated meeting point for crew organizing trips around Pattaya, hoping to capitalize on the influx of visiting service members. Crowding around arriving sailors, vendors offered everything from handmade souvenirs to pre-planned city tours, though many sailors politely declined offers as they waited for their arranged transportation. A-ngoon Sombat, a local artisan who makes the trip 200 kilometers from her home in central Thailand’s Ayutthaya province every time a U.S. naval vessel docks in Chonburi, set up her stall selling bright woven braided bracelets directly across from the hotel entrance. She had already recorded a handful of sales by midday Thursday, but remained uncertain about how her business would fare over the stop. “There are many vendors around. It’s really up to how lucky each of us are,” she explained. News of the massive aircraft carrier’s arrival also drew crowds of curious onlookers to a popular viewing spot just outside Laem Chabang port by Wednesday evening. Visitors arrived by car and motorcycle, peering through a mesh security fence to catch a glimpse of the 333-meter-long vessel – a length roughly equal to three American football fields – and snapping photos and videos of the massive warship. Many struck up casual conversations with other enthusiasts who shared the goal of seeing the aircraft carrier in person. Keith Eldridge, an American expat who has lived in Thailand for five years, traveled from neighboring Chachoengsao province specifically to see the Lincoln. Though he missed the actual docking, he tracked down the popular viewing spot after a tip from other ship enthusiasts. Eldridge described the massive vessel as an awe-inspiring “engineering marvel.” “When you get to look at something so big, wrapped up with so much technology – the radars, the sonars, the weapon systems, the propulsion systems – it is truly amazing that we can build it, float it, and we fight from it,” he said. Capt. Dan Keeler, the commanding officer of the USS Abraham Lincoln, confirmed the carrier is en route back to its home base in the United States, with the Thai port stop serving as a rest and resupply stop before the final leg of the journey. He noted the strike group may make additional resupply stops before reaching the U.S., but declined to share an exact date for the group’s arrival back on American soil. The carrier is scheduled to depart Thailand this weekend to continue its homeward journey.
USS Lincoln crew hits the streets of Thai beach city after lengthy Middle East deployment
