USS Abraham Lincoln leaves Thailand after Pattaya visit

The US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln left Laem Chabang Port on Sunday, ending a five-day stop in Thailand after a lengthy Middle East deployment. AFP journalists reported the ship depart at about 11am local time.

The carrier, with a crew of around 5,000, arrived on Wednesday at the port north of Pattaya, about a half-hour drive from the resort city. It was the Lincoln's first port call after reports of worsening conditions aboard during nine months at sea.

For Pattaya businesses, the visit brought a timely influx of customers during Thailand's tourism low season. Pattaya Mayor Poramase Ngampiches estimated enlisted personnel spent up to 100 million baht, during their time ashore.

Pattaya businesses benefit

Poramase said the city also earned millions of baht from supplying the ship with goods, including toothpaste, amounting to tens of thousands of dollars.

Many sailors and Marines spent their time on Thailand's coast shopping and visiting tourist sites, Poramase said.

"It shows that they are missing their families and want to buy some souvenirs for them," he told AFP.

The carrier call offered a short-term lift for shops, restaurants and attractions around Pattaya, a city known for beaches and nightlife but also for its reputation as a sex-tourism hub.

No major incidents reported

Authorities increased security in Pattaya during the visit. They also stepped up action against sex workers before the sailors arrived, although the mayor denied that the crackdown was connected to the port call.

Police said the visit ended with no major problems. "Everything went fine," Pattaya police chief Anek Srathongyoo told AFP on Sunday.

"There were no arrests or arguments except on the first day when Americans had an argument among themselves," he said.

Two sailors were returned to the Lincoln by the US Navy after a drunken altercation near Walking Street in the early hours of Thursday. Anek had earlier described the incident as a "small scuffle" and "trivial", saying local residents called police only to stop it escalating.

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6 September 2026