US aircraft carrier with 5,000 crew to call on Phuket
The USS George HW Bush (CVN-77) left Norfolk, Virginia, on March 31 and was deployed to the Arabian Sea to support operations during the US-Iran conflict. Phuket is preparing to welcome 5,000 US navy personnel during a port call by the USS George HW Bush, the second aircraft carrier to visit Thailand after seeing action in the Middle East war.
Police held talks on Tuesday with deputy assistant defence attachΓ©s at the US Embassy in Thailand, to discuss arrangements for the scheduled visit from Oct 4-9.
They discussed co-operation and security arrangements for the visiting sailors during their time on the island. Thai authorities advised US personnel to respect and comply with Thai laws during their stay.
The USS George HW Bush left Norfolk, Virginia, on March 31, 2026 and was deployed to the Arabian Sea during the conflict with Iran.
The aircraft carrier, with about 4,800 personnel, will be accompanied by the USS Delbert D Black (DDG-119), a guided-missile destroyer carrying about 320 personnel.
The visit of the carrier comes just a month after a port call in Pattaya in Chon Buri by the USS Abraham Lincoln, also carrying about 5,000 personnel.
The visit was believed to have pumped about 100 million baht into the local economy, the local mayor said.
