US Aircraft Carrier Abraham Lincoln Sets Sail Again After Thailand Shore Leave

After nearly 10 months at sea, the USS Abraham Lincoln and its 5,000 sailors and Marines left Thailand on Sunday following five days of shore leave. The carrier departed Laem Chabang, in the country’s south, at about 11 a.m. local time, according to AFP reporters.

The crew had spent several days in Pattaya, a popular tourist city, amid reports of difficult conditions aboard the ship. US media said sailors had faced shortages of food, defective sanitary facilities and a lack of hygiene products. The reports also described heavy psychological pressure and even suicide attempts among crew members.

Thai police deployed substantial forces to provide security during the sailors’ stay in Pattaya, which is known for its nightlife and sex tourism. Police chief Anek Srathongyoo said the visit passed without major problems. “Everything went well,” he said, adding that there were no arrests or disputes apart from a fight between Americans on the first day.

The US Navy sent two sailors back to the Lincoln after they clashed near Pattaya’s Walking Street entertainment district. Pattaya Mayor Poramase Ngampiches said the shore leave generated an estimated $3 million in revenue, while the city also benefited from sales of goods such as toothpaste worth millions of baht.

The carrier left San Diego in November 2025 for service in the South China Sea. It was later sent to a crisis region before the Iran war began in late February. Reports about conditions aboard the ship intensified criticism in the United States of the military action.

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Everything went well.