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US Aircraft Carrier Arrives in Thailand After Record 286-day Deployment

The vessel’s arrival has shone a light on Pattaya’s sex industry, which established itself as a rest and recreation destination for U.S. personnel during the Vietnam War.

The U.S. aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln arrives in Laem Chabang, Thailand, Sept. 2, 2026.

The U.S. aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln yesterday docked in Thailand after more than nine months at sea, a period marked by reports of deteriorating conditions on board and the poor mental health of its sailors.

The nuclear-powered vessel arrived at Laem Chabang port yesterday morning and will remain there for five days while its 5,000-odd personnel rest and recuperate in the nearby city of Pattaya.

The Abraham Lincoln spent a total of 286 days at sea, taking part in the U.S. naval blockade and combat operations in the war with Iran, setting a modern-day deployment record. It has since crossed the Indian Ocean and is now conducting “routine operations in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations,” the U.S. Navy said in a statement.

“Our arrival in Laem Chabang provides a well-deserved opportunity for our Sailors and Marines to rest and recharge. It also underscores the strong and enduring partnership and alliance between the United States and Thailand,” Rear Admiral Robert E. Loughran, the ​commander of Carrier Strike Group 3, said in the statement.

“What this strike group has accomplished is truly historic,” he added. “I could not be prouder ​of the exceptional professionalism and expertise demonstrated by every member of this team during our operations.”

The Abraham Lincoln was accompanied by the guided-missile destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr., which docked in nearby Sriracha, and the guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls, which has docked in Map Ta Phut.

After the carrier docked, a fleet of around 40 buses ferried its personnel to Pattaya, where U.S. officers were greeted by the mayor and other Thai officials.

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