US aircraft carrier leaves Thailand after five-day rest stop for crew

The USS Abraham Lincoln left Thailand on Sunday after giving its nearly 5,000 crew members five days ashore in Pattaya, following an exceptional 286 days at sea. The carrier departed Laem Chabang port at 11 a.m. local time, according to AFP journalists.

Pattaya, a resort town about half an hour from the port by car, has long been a rest destination for U.S. troops, dating back to the Vietnam War. Security was tightened during the visit, including operations against prostitution before the sailors arrived. Pattaya’s mayor denied that the measures were linked to the military visit.

Police said the stop passed without major incidents. “Everything went well,” Pattaya police chief Anek Srathongyoo told AFP. “There were no arrests or fights except on the first day, when the Americans had a fight among themselves.” The U.S. Navy sent two sailors back to the ship after an early Thursday altercation involving alcohol, he said.

“

Everything went well.

The carrier left California in November 2025 for a mission in the South China Sea, but was redirected to the Middle East before joint U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran triggered a regional war six months ago.

In the United States, Democratic lawmakers have called for an investigation into conditions aboard the ship after reports of alleged food shortages, infrastructure problems and mental-health concerns. Navy Times reported that at least two sailors may have tried to take their own lives by jumping overboard. Donald Trump played down those reports, as well as questions about the carrier’s unusually long deployment.

“

There were no arrests or fights except on the first day, when the Americans had a fight among themselves.