The USS Abraham Lincoln has arrived in a Thai resort city after a punishing deployment that kept its crew at sea for more than 200 days.
The US Navy aircraft carrier pulled into Pattaya on Wednesday, giving the roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard a chance to rest and recharge before returning to the United States, the Navy said.
The stop comes as a welcome respite for the American service members, who had been deployed at sea since November 21 amid the war in Iran.
Local officials are now hoping Pattaya can become an “important vacation spot” for US troops in the years ahead, Newsweek reports.
“We welcome more visits of the troops in the future, whether for a drill or a vacation, before they go back to the US,” Mayor Poramase Ngampichet reportedly told American military officials.
Pattaya began as a fishing village before growing into a major tourism hub during the Vietnam War, when US service members were based nearby.
The city later became known for sex tourism, but in the days before the carrier’s arrival, local authorities moved to tighten enforcement with a crackdown on prostitution.
Police raids over the weekend resulted in 40 to 50 people being detained, while extra patrols were deployed along the main beachfront and in the 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.
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.
But President Donald disputed the claim last month as US Central Command commander Admiral Brad Cooper visited the aircraft carrier.
He called the crew onboard a ‘strong team of high-achieving Americans standing tall with immense, justified pride in everything they accomplished.’
‘History will record this deployment as one of the most operationally intense and consequential of the modern era,’ Cooper said in a statement.
The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier is pictured in April carrying out blockade operations in the Arabian Sea
Sailors have complained about the meager portions they were receiving onboard the hsip
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
