The US Navy aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) arrived at Laem Chabang port in Thailand on September 2, 2026, carrying approximately 5,000 sailors and Marines. ^[1] The USS Abraham Lincoln's strike group, with about 5,000 sailors and Marines, is expected to visit Pattaya, Thailand, for shore leave this week after a long tour of duty in the Middle East. ^[2] Reports indicate that the USS Abraham Lincoln crew is facing mental health concerns and deteriorating conditions on board following their extended deployment. ^[3] The crew aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln has spent 286 consecutive days at sea, setting a modern-day record for consecutive days at sea. ^[4] The USS Abraham Lincoln was deployed in November 2025 and was involved in the US naval blockade and combat operations in the war with Iran. ^[5] Recent visitors to Pattaya say the city has developed more family-friendly attractions that overshadow its former seedy self. ^[6] Thailand's law technically bans prostitution, and paying for sex is a punishable offense under Article 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. ^[7] The military connection goes back to the Vietnam War era, when at its height, 40,000-50,000 U.S. service personnel were stationed in Thailand, and Pattaya was close to the Sattahip naval base and the Thai Navy's U-Tapao airfield. ^[8]