The USS Abraham Lincoln, an American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, arrived at the Thai port of Laem Chabang, near Pattaya, south of Bangkok, on Wednesday. The arrival was observed by AFP reporters and marked the first shore visit for the 5,000 crew members of the vessel since November.
The ship departed from California in November 2015 for a mission in the South China Sea, but was diverted to the Middle East before the joint attacks between the United States and Israel against Iran, which triggered a regional war six months ago.
The vessel was at the center of a controversy following reports about the deterioration of living conditions on board, including mental health problems among the sailors, such as suicide attempts. The complaints about conditions on the vessel motivated the stop at the Thai port.