BANGKOK, Thailand: The USS Abraham Lincoln’s Thailand port call ended Sunday as the US aircraft carrier departed Laem Chabang after five days of shore leave for its roughly 5,000-member crew.
The carrier left the port near Pattaya at about 11:00 am local time, according to AFP journalists. It had arrived Wednesday after a lengthy Middle East deployment.
Pattaya police said the visit ended largely without incident. Police chief Anek Srathongyoo said officers made no arrests during the port call.
However, the US Navy sent two sailors back to the Lincoln after a drunken altercation early Thursday near Walking Street. Srathongyoo described the dispute as minor and said residents contacted police to prevent it from escalating.
Pattaya Mayor Poramase Ngampiches estimated that US personnel spent up to 100 million baht, about $3 million, during the visit. He also said the ship bought supplies worth millions of baht from local businesses.
Read: USS Abraham Lincoln Docks in Thailand After 286 Days at Sea
Many sailors and Marines spent their shore leave shopping and visiting tourist sites along Thailand’s coast, Poramase said.
The visit followed reports about conditions aboard the carrier during its deployment. US Democratic lawmakers called for an investigation last month into reported food shortages, broken plumbing and mental health crises.
Read: USS Abraham Lincoln Conditions Draw Bipartisan Scrutiny
The USS George Washington has since replaced the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East.
