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Lincoln docks in Thailand
The USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in port in eastern Thailand on Wednesday after 286 days at sea, including a lengthy deployment in the Middle East, and it was accompanied by other U.S. naval vessels as it came for rest and recuperation.
“arrived in port in eastern Thailand on Wednesday after 286 days at sea”
The nuclear-powered Lincoln, with roughly 5,000 personnel, docked in Laem Chabang, while the guided-missile destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. docked in nearby Sriracha and the guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls arrived in Map Ta Phut.
Reuters said the Lincoln was involved in the U.S. naval blockade and combat operations in the war with Iran, and Democratic lawmakers said it set a modern-day record for consecutive days at sea.
In a statement, Rear Admiral Robert E. Loughran said, "Our arrival in Laem Chabang provides a well-deserved opportunity for our Sailors and Marines to rest and recharge," as busloads of sailors and Marines began arriving in Pattaya.
The CNN en Español report said the port call ended a long sea journey through the Middle East that generated concern for the well-being of the crew, and it described the ship’s hull as marked by rust after time at sea.
Mental health dispute and response
Democratic lawmakers raised concerns about the Lincoln’s conditions on board, including reports of deteriorating mental health and deteriorating conditions, while the deployment’s length became a focal point for criticism of President Donald Trump’s war against Iran.
CNN en Español reported that the senator Richard Blumenthal wrote to the secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, and the acting Navy secretary to express “seria preocupación” and to demand answers about living conditions aboard the carrier.
In the same CNN en Español account, Hegseth later said the conditions of the Lincoln had been “completamente tergiversadas,” while Trump dismissed the concerns and said the deployment was “no era ni de lejos lo suficientemente largo.”
NBC News described the ship’s appearance as showing rust and paint worn off on the 1,092-foot warship, and it quoted Rear Adm. Robert E. Loughran saying the arrival would allow the sailors and Marines to “rest and recharge.”
The BBC said the Lincoln docked in Thailand after a record 250 days at sea without a port stop, and it noted that members of Congress had raised concerns about reports of food shortages, broken toilets and mental stress among the crew.
Pattaya shore leave and next steps
As the Lincoln’s crew prepared to disembark for shore leave, local officials and U.S. Navy statements framed the visit as a first full port stop after 286 days at sea, with the strike group arriving in Laem Chabang while USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. docked in Sriracha and USS Robert Smalls went to Map Ta Phut.
“Each service member will get three “liberty days” and one day of duty”
NBC News said each service member would get three “liberty days” and one day of duty aboard the ship, and it reported that officials in Pattaya expected the visit to inject about $3 million into the local economy.
The Reuters report said Thailand’s only treaty partner in mainland Southeast Asia would host the visit for five days, and it described restrictions on crew activities during the stay, including on water sports and visiting certain entertainment zones after sunset.
France 24 reported that the mayor Poramase Ngampiches said buses would transport the sailors from the ship to Pattaya and back until the carrier departs on Sunday, and it quoted him saying, “They come to relax.”
The Reuters account also said police would deploy additional patrols around Pattaya’s main beachfront and nightlife district after raids over the weekend and the arrest of 40 to 50 people for suspected prostitution, while the BBC reported that Soi 6 was among the places where U.S. servicemen and women would not be allowed to go.