USS Abraham Lincoln Welcomed in Thailand After 286 Days Underway
In what must be one of the largest naval port visits for decades, Carrier Strike Group 3 (CSG-3) headed up by USS Abraham Lincoln, arrived in Thailand for what will be for most a five-day visit, docking just to the north of Pattaya. There are approximately 5,000 servicemen and women aboard enjoying time ashore, which will last until Sunday, September 6.
The carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), with the CSG-3 staff as well as the nine squadrons of aircraft from Carrier Air Wing 9, pulled into Laem Chabang, along with the Arleigh Burke Class guided-missile destroyers USS Spruance (DDG-111) and USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112) from Destroyer Squadron 21, while the USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121) docked in nearby Sriracha. Ticonderoga Class guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls (CG 62) docked in Map Ta Phut, south of Pattaya.
CSG-3 deployed in November 2025 and has been at sea for 286 days, most of it while conducting operations. For the CSG, the only respite was a two-day port call in Guam before Christmas and a day call into Duqm in Oman on July 7. Reports are that the sailors had restricted access during the short stay.
For almost the entire period, the flight deck of the Abraham Lincoln has been active, day and night, maintaining over-watch of the CSG, in a high threat environment for 200 days. For all the ships and crews, there has been little opportunity for downtime. As well as an extraordinary display of human resilience, the technical challenge of keeping such a sophisticated and complex activity operational over such an extended period of time will have set several world records, and all without suffering combat casualties.
Abraham Lincoln arriving in port (USN)
Unsurprisingly, there have been complaints from families at the extended duration of the deployment, which will also have been taxing, particularly on the younger sailors not used to extended periods away from home, but nevertheless operational readiness has been maintained throughout. Heavy wear and tear on the ships as well was evident as the ships came into harbor, particularly on the Abraham Lincoln, which looked battered, bruised, and heavily rusted. The CSG has been operating in the Northern Arabian Sea, which in recent months has been subject to seasonal heavy monsoon weather and stormy seas. The weathered appearance of the carrier, however, drew extensive attention, including from the Chinese media.
The US Navy and the Thai authorities have gone to some effort to make sure that the port call goes well, with nobody wanting accidents to mar the homecoming of the CSG. To that end, the sailors have been banned from taking part in what can be described as dangerous sports, such as paragliding and use of jet skis, and there will be limits to the number of sailors allowed ashore at any one time to stop the town being overrun. Buses are taking sailors to hotels around the district, with some travelling further afield to Bangkok. Reports are that they have also been restricted from visiting certain districts. While Royal Navy ships are “wet” at sea, albeit no longer with a daily issue of rum, US Navy ships have traditionally been dry, so for many sailors there will need to be a gentle re-introduction to alcohol.
The visit has been particularly welcomed in Thailand, where visitor numbers have been heavily depressed by the conflict in the Gulf. Tourism receipts from this port visit alone should be sufficient to turn the year around. Pattaya Mayor Poramet Ngampichet has estimated that his town could benefit from sailors spending an average of $100 per day when ashore.
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Challenged by reporters about the record deployment, Donald Trump responded: “It wasn’t long enough.”
The visit marks USS Abraham Lincoln’s first full port stop since the start of the deployment in November 2025, which included a continuous stretch at sea that lasted 208 days, versus the typical 30 to 45 days between ports. She spent after nearly seven months of operations supporting the war in Iran. The carrier was replaced by USS George Washington, but the Navy has not officially confirmed that it will be returning to the United States after the port stop.
