Thai authorities have planned a crackdown on prostitution ahead of the arrival of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier carrying roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines who have spent more than 260 consecutive days at sea.
The USS Abraham Lincoln is scheduled to dock Wednesday near Thailand’s resort city of Pattaya, a major tourist destination known for its nightlife. The carrier’s crew has spent months at sea with only two port calls. The deployment has set a modern-era record for consecutive days at sea without a port call, several media outlets reported.
In preparation for the arrival, local police have stepped up patrols around Pattaya’s main beachfront and nightlife district. The coastal city is lined with resort hotels, high-rise condominiums, shopping malls, and 24-hour clubs. Authorities in recent days have arrested between 40 and 50 people on suspicion of prostitution, The Independent reported.
The aircraft carrier sailed past Singapore over the weekend on its way back to the U.S. following a lengthy deployment in the Middle East. The Lincoln will dock at nearby Laem Chabang alongside two other Navy vessels, allowing sailors and Marines to reset after grueling months at sea. Local officials expect the visit to boost the local economy while also preparing for a potential uptick in illicit activity.
“We are doing our best, but it is difficult,” Pattaya Police Chief Anek Srathongyoo said Monday, according to the Independent.
Prostitution is illegal in Thailand, but penalties are rarely enforced; sex workers continue to operate openly in major tourist hubs such as Bangkok and Pattaya.
The Lincoln departed its home port of San Diego in November 2025 before being redirected to the Middle East to support U.S. military operations, setting a record for the longest uninterrupted deployment at sea, the Associated Press reported. Democratic lawmakers have seized on reports of declining morale, deteriorating conditions, and poor food to criticize the U.S. military campaign.
“Some deployments are longer than others, and I have more respect and gratitude for those sailors than anybody,” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said in August. “What they do in those high seas and those austere conditions with less port calls, it’s incredible. Americans don’t understand what it’s like to do that.”
“I feel it. I want them home as soon as everybody else. I want folks rotated as quickly as possible. I want the best for them,” Hegseth added.
The prolonged deployment, however, has fueled concerns over the crew’s mental health following reports that the ship has experienced suicide attempts, including crew members attempting to jump overboard, The Guardian reported. The Navy has disputed these reports.
In August, Trump said another ship was on its way to provide relief, but quipped that the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier had been deployed for “not nearly long enough.”
The Lincoln is expected to return to its home port in San Diego following its stop in Thailand, though an exact arrival date has not yet been set.
“We are so grateful for their dedication of that crew and others; they’ve held the line for the country, and they’ve done fantastic stuff,” Hegseth said.
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