A US aircraft carrier at the centre of a political row over conditions on board is set to arrive in Thailand, the first port call for its 5,000 crew since November, AFP reports.

The resort city of Pattaya, a rest-and-recreation destination for US troops since the Vietnam War, has stepped up security as it prepares to welcome the sailors and Marines from the USS Abraham Lincoln.

“About 600 officials will provide security and other necessary assistance,” provincial Governor Narit Niramaiwong has told AFP.

The nuclear-powered ship left California in November 2025 for duty in the South China Sea and was rerouted to the Middle East before the US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

Reports of deteriorating living conditions and poor mental health on board — including attempted suicides — have made headlines in the United States, provoking criticism of President Donald Trump’s war against Iran.