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Thailand's Queen Suthida flew a Gripen fighter jet solo for the first time on Oct. 8, 2026, watched by King Maha Vajiralongkorn at an air base in Surat Thani Province. Video courtesy of PR Thai Government
The 48-year-old queen has accumulated more than 1,188 flying hours across several types of civilian and military aircraft since beginning flight training in 2010.
Queen Suthida wears a pilot's uniform while attending an air show celebrating the Royal Thai Air Force's 88th anniversary at Wing 6 in Bangkok on March 7, 2025.
Before joining Thailand's royal family, Queen Suthida worked as a flight attendant for Japan Airlines from 2000 to 2003 and Thai Airways International from 2003 to 2008, according to Thailand's Government Public Relations Department.
She began her aviation training on May 13, 2010, flying a Cessna T-41D military training aircraft at Wing 6 in Bangkok, according to Thailand's Bureau of the Royal Household.
She subsequently completed several aviation courses with the Royal Thai Air Force and Royal Thai Army, gaining experience on different types of aircraft.
The queen expanded her aviation qualifications through training in Thailand and Germany, flying aircraft including the Cessna 172, Mooney M-20 and Piper PA-34 Seneca.
She later earned commercial pilot qualifications, a Boeing 737 type rating and an airline transport pilot license, allowing her to operate passenger jets.
Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida have spent years training as pilots.
The queen has served as co-pilot alongside her husband on royal trips abroad.
In April 2025, the couple flew a royal Boeing 737 to Bhutan, landing at Paro International Airport, which is surrounded by mountains and known for its challenging approach.
They also flew to Hanoi for a state visit to Vietnam in September 2026, with the king landing the aircraft at Noi Bai International Airport and the queen occupying the co-pilot's seat.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn takes the controls as Captain, with Queen Suthida serving as First Officer, as the royal aircraft carries them to Hanoi, Vietnam, for the state visit from Sept. 14 to 16, 2026. Video courtesy of PR Thai Government
In August 2026, Queen Suthida began specialized training on the JAS 39 Gripen fighter jet at Wing 7 air base in Surat Thani Province, southern Thailand.
Her preparation included 45 academic and emergency-procedure subjects, 20 flight simulator sessions and more than 10 hours of flying in a two-seat Gripen before advancing to the single-seat version.
On Oct. 8, the queen took control of a single-seat JAS 39C Gripen and completed a 41-minute solo flight at Wing 7, becoming Thailand's first female Gripen pilot, The Nation reported.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn watched from the ground as she took off and completed the mission. The queen had previously trained on the two-seat JAS 39D, which allows an instructor to accompany a trainee pilot.
Following the successful mission, King Maha Vajiralongkorn presented the queen with a bouquet and attached the gold-embroidered Gripen Order Golden Patch to her flight suit.
The recognition came from the Gripen Order, an honorary association in Sweden, which accepted her as a full member, aviation news site AeroTime reported.
On Oct. 14, just six days after her fighter jet flight, Queen Suthida piloted a royal Boeing 737-800 from Bangkok to Japan for an official visit.
The aircraft departed from Don Mueang Military Airport and landed at New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido at 10:05 a.m. local time after a flight of approximately seven hours.
She concluded her Japan visit on Oct. 22 by taking command of the royal Boeing 737 for the return journey to Thailand.
Serving as captain, she piloted the aircraft on the approximately eight-hour flight from Hokkaido to Bangkok, landing at Don Mueang Military Airport.
Queen Suthida piloted a plane to Japan, spending the time around 7 hours to arrive in Chitose, Hokkaido on Oct. 14, 2026. Video courtesy of PR Thai Government
