Thai resort braces for 5,000 sailors from USS Lincoln after lengthy Mideast deployment

The USS Abraham Lincoln, an aircraft carrier with 5,000 crew, is set to arrive in Pattaya, Thailand, after a lengthy deployment in the Middle East. According to Free Malaysia Today, the ship left California in November 2025 and was rerouted to the Middle East ahead of US-Israeli attacks on Iran that began six months ago.

The resort city of Pattaya has stepped up security, with around 600 officials providing security and other necessary assistance, as reported by The Guardian and Free Malaysia Today. The mayor of Pattaya, Poramase Ngampiches, said the carrier will dock at Laem Chabang port just after midnight.

The deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln was extended due to the US war in Iran, and there have been reports of deteriorating living conditions and poor mental health on board, including attempted suicides, as reported by Free Malaysia Today. The sailors will be transported to Pattaya and back in staggered groups using around 40 buses until the carrier departs on Sunday.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Times of Israel, The Guardian, Free Malaysia Today, Winnipeg Free Press — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.