USS Abraham Lincoln Leaves Thailand After a Four-Day Pattaya Rest Stop

The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its strike group left Thailand on September 6, 2026, ending a four-day port visit that gave roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines their first extended shore leave in nine months. The ship had arrived at Laem Chabang, in Chonburi province near Pattaya, on September 2 after 286 days at sea.

According to U.S. 7th Fleet, it was the Lincoln’s first full port call since the carrier left San Diego in November 2025. The strike group is now transiting home and is expected to reach its California homeport in late September or early October.

Nine months at sea, one port call

The Lincoln deployed with Carrier Air Wing 9, which the Navy describes as nine squadrons and more than 70 aircraft. That force includes three F/A-18 Super Hornet squadrons, an EA-18G Growler electronic-attack squadron, a Marine Corps F-35C squadron, and an E-2D Advanced Hawkeye early-warning squadron.

Most of the deployment was spent in the U.S. Central Command area, where the strike group flew combat missions during the war with Iran and helped enforce a naval blockade. The carrier USS George Washington relieved the Lincoln on station in August, which freed it to head east.

Carrier strike groups usually break up a long deployment with several port visits for maintenance, resupply, and crew rest. This one had none until Thailand. Military Times reported that lawmakers have called the 286-day stretch a modern record for consecutive days at sea for a U.S. carrier.

The ship showed the strain when it arrived, with rust streaks and patchy paint along the waterline. Reporters also noted accounts of low morale and supply shortages during the deployment, tied in part to Iranian strikes on U.S. bases in the region. Commanding officer Captain Dan Keeler said the wear was “normal for a long deployment.”

Why Pattaya

Pattaya has been a U.S. military rest-and-relaxation destination since the Vietnam War. The nearby U-Tapao air base flew B-52 bombing missions then, and the fishing village grew into a resort city on American shore leave.

Thailand is also one of the oldest U.S. treaty allies in Asia and hosts the annual Cobra Gold military exercise, so a carrier port call carries a diplomatic message as well as a practical one.

The Navy said the visit was strictly for crew rest, with no joint training or operations. Sailors were bused into Pattaya in staggered groups for shopping at the Terminal 21 mall, sightseeing, temple visits, and a stop at a local elephant sanctuary, France 24 reported from the city.

Local authorities prepared for the influx. The Associated Press reported that Pattaya’s mayor barred visiting service members from parasailing and cannabis use, officials warned businesses against overcharging, and about 600 personnel were assigned to security and transport along the routes into town.

Pattaya’s tourism trade welcomed the stop. Lisa Hamilton, who heads the Pattaya Nightlife Business Association, told the AP the port call “became a source of hope for us” after a slow season. Police said incidents were minimal, with two sailors returned to the ship after a late-night altercation that officers described as trivial and that brought no charges.

On departure, Keeler thanked “the Thai people for their hospitality” and said the visit “provided this crew with ample rest.” The U.S. Navy keeps three of its carriers at sea on a typical day, a tempo that makes stops like this one both rare and, for the crews, hard-earned. AeroCorner explains that rotation in its guide to how many carriers the U.S. has.