The US aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush arrived off Thailand's resort island of Phuket on Sunday with about 4,800 personnel aboard for a rest-and-recreation break after months of supporting US operations in the Middle East. The Nimitz-class carrier had been operating in the Arabian Sea during the conflict with Iran, according to multiple media reports. The carrier will anchor offshore, while crew members are expected to come ashore through Phuket Deep Sea Port and spend time on the popular southern resort island from October 4 to 9, local media reported. The visit follows a five-day port call by the US carrier Abraham Lincoln at Laem Chabang in eastern Thailand last month, with about 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard. A local mayor had estimated each US service member from the Lincoln could spend up to 3,000 baht ($89) per day during the visit, Reuters reported. Thailand is the United States' only treaty partner in mainland Southeast Asia.
