After more than 200 demanding days on deployment, the USS Abraham Lincoln has arrived in one of Thailand’s best-known resort destinations, giving its crew a long-awaited chance to step onto dry land.
The US Navy aircraft carrier pulled into Pattaya on Wednesday, the Navy said, with roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard set to enjoy a period of rest and recovery before the ship begins its journey back to the United States.
For the American service members, the port call comes as a welcome pause after being at sea since November 21 while operating amid the war in Iran.
Local leaders in Pattaya are also looking beyond this visit, hoping the seaside city can grow into an “important vacation spot” for US troops on future deployments, Newsweek reports.
Mayor Poramase Ngampichet reportedly told American military officials that Pattaya would be pleased to host more US service members in the years ahead, whether they are visiting for military exercises or taking time off before returning home.
Pattaya had started off as a fishing village, but became a tourism center during the Vietnam War, when US servicemembers were stationed nearby.
It has since developed a reputation for sex tourism, but ahead of the ship’s arrival on Wednesday, authorities in the city launched a crackdown on prostitution.
Police raids over the weekend saw 40 to 50 people detained with additional patrols in place for the main beachfront and nightlife district, the Independent reports.
But city officials have also implemented a series of rules for the sailors after speaking with American military officials.
The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier is pictured arriving at Laem Chabang Port on Wednesday following its extended deployment to the Middle East
Pattaya had started off as a fishing village, but became a tourism center during the Vietnam War, when US servicemembers were stationed nearby
Under the agreement, service members are banned from engaging in certain recreational activities like parasailing and cannabis use, which was legalized in Thailand in 2022, according to the Guardian.
And while famed nightlife area Walking Street will be opened to sailors, they must leave by 2am.
Any US service member found violating Thai law will be prosecuted accordingly, City Police Chief Anek Srathongyoo vowed.
Unlike in the United States, vapes and e-cigarettes are illegal in Thailand, and anyone caught possessing one can face up to five years in prison.
The country also has strict laws against insulting the country’s monarchy – which could see violators sentenced to 15 years in prison.
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In preparation for the deluge of US servicemembers, authorities in Pattaya have stepped up security, adding more police officers in popular areas along the beach and in the bustling downtown area.
Meanwhile, business owners across the city eager awaited the arrival of the sailors, with some businesses displaying banners reading: ‘Welcome all US military personnel. Thank you for your service’ and ‘All Welcome’ next to a silhouette of the aircraft carrier.
Business owners in Pattaya eagerly awaited the arrival of the US sailors
The ship’s arrival in Thailand comes just weeks after the USS George Washington was forced to abandon its post in the Pacific Ocean to relieve the strained sailors of the USS Abraham Lincoln.
The sailors onboard had reportedly experienced horrific conditions that led some service members to experience suicidal ideation due to dwindling morale.
The wife of one of the sailors even described the ship as a ‘floating metal prison’ with appalling conditions as she slammed President Donald Trump for downplaying family members’ concerns.
The unidentified woman said that her husband described the experience aboard the aircraft carrier stationed in the Middle East as ‘the worst deployment he’s ever been on.’
‘This is not his first deployment. This is not his first time being out there, and he is saying that it is the worst deployment that he’s ever been on. And he also says that his shipmates say the same,’ she told CNN‘s Jake Tapper.
Sailors have complained about the meager portions they were receiving onboard the ship
Since the beginning of the war in Iran, reports have surfaced of food shortages and rationing aboard the Lincoln, accompanied by photographs of sailors’ meals.
‘It’s not just the quality; it’s the quantity,’ the sailor’s wife told the outlet. ‘It’s the rationing. The portions are awful, so it’s really not good.’
Remaining anonymous out of fear of retaliation against her husband, the woman added that her spouse, who she said is typically unaffected by work stressors, ‘feels himself being angrier and more frustrated.’
‘You’re stuck in a floating metal prison, essentially, in the middle of the water, eating prison-like food with the same people in the same bunk beds in the same small quarters for 200 days, 250 days, you start to go a little insane working 12 hours, getting four or five hours of sleep,’ she continued.
The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier is pictured in April carrying out blockade operations in the Arabian Sea
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.