USS Abraham Lincoln departs Thailand after respite visit

The US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln left Thailand on Sunday after a five-day port visit, ending a respite from an extended deployment that included operations in the Middle East, the U.S. Navy said.

“We would like to thank the people of Thailand for their incredible hospitality,” U.S. Navy Captain Dan Keeler, the Abraham Lincoln’s commanding officer, said in a statement.

Naval deployments typically last for six to nine months, but during times of conflict that can be extended.

The nuclear-powered Lincoln, with roughly ​5,000 personnel, was involved in the U.S. naval blockade and combat operations in the war with Iran and — according to ​Democratic lawmakers — set a modern-day record for consecutive days at sea.

Accompanied by other U.S. naval vessels, the Lincoln arrived early on Wednesday in Thailand, the United States' only treaty partner in mainland Southeast Asia, during a visit that Thai officials said would last five days.

Busloads of sailors and Marines wearing civilian clothes, many smiling and waving, started arriving at a hotel in the resort city of Pattaya, about 150 km (93 miles) southeast of Bangkok, shortly after their ships docked.

Reporting by Gnaneshwar Rajan in Bengaluru; Editing by Kate Mayberry/Reuters