US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln leaves Thailand after port visit

The USS Abraham Lincoln left Thailand on Sept. 6 after a five-day port visit that gave its 5,000 sailors and Marines a break following a lengthy deployment in the Middle East.

The carrier docked near Pattaya on Sept. 2, with its crew spending time shopping and visiting tourist sites along Thailand's coast. The visit arrived during the tourism low season and raised hopes for businesses in Pattaya, a city known for its beaches and nightlife.

Security was increased in the city before the sailors arrived, while authorities cracked down on sex workers. Pattaya's mayor denied that the action was connected to the port call. Police said the visit ended largely without incident. “Everything went fine,” Pattaya police chief Anek Srathongyoo told AFP. He said there had been no arrests or arguments apart from a dispute among Americans on the first day.

Police had earlier said that two sailors were sent back to the Lincoln after a drunken altercation near Walking Street in the early hours of Sept. 4. The police chief described it as a small and trivial scuffle, saying residents called police to stop it from escalating.

The port call also brought an economic boost. Pattaya Mayor Poramase Ngampiches estimated that the crew spent up to 100 million baht, or about S$3.8 million, during the visit. The city also sold the ship supplies worth millions of baht, including toiletries. The visit followed reports that sailors had at times lacked basic items such as toothpaste, deodorant and soap during their deployment. In August, US Democratic lawmakers called for an investigation into reported food shortages, broken plumbing and mental health crises aboard the Lincoln.

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Everything went fine