USS Abraham Lincoln, with 5,000 sailors on board, arrives in Thailand after Middle East deployment

Associated Press journalists watched the Lincoln, which is carrying about 5,000 service members, as it made its way into the Laem Chabang port in Chonburi province shortly after the destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. sailed past the area.

The ship had been supporting the U.S. war against Iran. Its deployment included a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea of more than 250 days. Concerns have grown about the Lincoln’s lengthy deployment following reports of deteriorating mental health among the crew and shortages of supplies, including food and hygiene products.

The U.S. Embassy in Bangkok confirmed the ship's arrival in a statement Wednesday. It said the Lincoln's strike group arrived in Laem Chabang, while the destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. docked at the nearby port of Sriracha, and the guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls is in Map Ta Phut in neighboring Rayong province.