US carrier Abraham Lincoln departs Thailand after respite visit

The USS Abraham Lincoln left Thailand on Sunday after a five-day port visit, giving its crew a respite from an extended deployment that included operations in the Middle East.

“We would like to thank the people of Thailand for their incredible hospitality,” Captain Dan Keeler, the carrier’s commanding officer, said in a statement.

The nuclear-powered Nimitz-class carrier arrived at Laem Chabang Port early Wednesday with other US naval vessels. Thailand is the United States’ only treaty partner in mainland Southeast Asia. Busloads of sailors and Marines in civilian clothes headed to hotels in Pattaya, about 150 kilometers southeast of Bangkok, after the ships docked.

The Lincoln has roughly 5,000 personnel. The article said the carrier took part in a US naval blockade and combat operations during the war with Iran, and that Democratic lawmakers described its consecutive time at sea as a modern-day record. Naval deployments typically last six to nine months, but can extend during conflicts.

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We would like to thank the people of Thailand for their incredible hospitality.