A closer look at USS Abraham Lincoln ahead of its Thailand visit
The nuclear-powered USS Abraham Lincoln will visit Laem Chabang from September 2-6 with more than 5,000 personnel for rest and replenishment.
The US Navy’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) is scheduled to call at Laem Chabang Port in Thailand from September 2-6, 2026, accompanied by escort vessels from its Carrier Strike Group.
More than 5,000 sailors and Marines are expected to come ashore during the visit, which will allow personnel to rest and receive supplies after an extended period of operations at sea.
The carrier departed its home port of San Diego, California, in November 2025 and was subsequently deployed for operations in the Middle East. Its personnel have reportedly spent more than 250 consecutive days at sea without a port visit.
A Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier
USS Abraham Lincoln is the fifth Nimitz-class aircraft carrier and the second US Navy vessel to be named after Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States.
The ship was commissioned on November 11, 1989, and is based in San Diego.
It has a displacement of approximately 100,000 tonnes and measures about 333 metres in length, equivalent to roughly three football pitches placed end to end.
The carrier can accommodate more than 65 aircraft, while its complement of naval personnel and Marines totals approximately 5,000.
Port call intended for rest and replenishment
The principal purpose of the Thailand visit is to provide rest and recreation, or R&R, for the carrier’s sailors and Marines after their lengthy deployment.
The ship and its accompanying vessels will also replenish food, supplies and other necessities before continuing their operations.
Thai Navy and Defence Ministry representatives have stressed that the visit is a routine port call conducted under longstanding Thai-US military cooperation.
No joint combat exercises or other combined military operations with Thailand are scheduled as part of the visit.
Pattaya and Chonburi businesses expect spending boost
The arrival of thousands of US personnel is expected to generate additional economic activity in Chonburi and Pattaya.
Hotels, restaurants, shops, transport operators and other tourism businesses are likely to benefit as crew members travel ashore for leisure during the four-day stop.
The visit will give personnel time to recover after months at sea while providing logistical support to the carrier and its strike group at one of Thailand’s principal deep-sea ports.
