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The 48-year-old queen completed her first solo flight in a Saab JAS 39C Gripen fighter jet on Oct. 8, becoming the world's first reigning queen to fly a fighter jet solo.
According to Thailand's Government Public Relations Department, she has completed military and civilian aviation training in Thailand and overseas and holds a commercial pilot license.
She has also served as co-pilot alongside King Maha Vajiralongkorn on royal flights within Thailand and abroad.
Queen Suthida began her flight training on May 13, 2010, aboard a Cessna T-41D operated by Squadron 604 at Wing 6 in Bangkok.
The T-41 is a military training version of the popular Cessna 172, a small, single-engine aircraft widely used to teach aspiring pilots basic flying skills.
She completed an aviation training course with the Royal Thai Air Force in December 2010 and another with the Royal Thai Army in January 2011, according to The Nation.
The queen has logged 315.33 flight hours on the Cessna T-41, making it one of the aircraft on which she has accumulated the most experience.
Queen Suthida continued her aviation training with the Royal Thai Air Force, flying the CT-4E Airtrainer.
The two-seat, single-engine aircraft is designed for military pilot training, allowing students to develop their flying skills before progressing to more advanced aircraft.
She completed an aviation course involving the CT-4E and Pilatus PC-9 at the Royal Thai Air Force Flying Training School on Dec. 6, 2012.
The queen has recorded 38.35 flight hours on the CT-4E, according to official Thai government records.
The queen also trained on the Pilatus PC-9, a Swiss-made turboprop aircraft used to prepare military pilots for more demanding flying operations.
Unlike smaller piston-engine training planes, the PC-9 uses a turbine engine and is designed for advanced flight training.
Queen Suthida completed her training on the aircraft in 2012 and has accumulated 105.59 flight hours.
Queen Suthida underwent further aviation training in Germany, where she obtained a private pilot license covering several aircraft types, including the Cessna 172.
The four-seat, single-engine aircraft is one of the world's most widely used training planes, popular among flight schools and private pilots.
Her training in Germany included the Cessna 172, Mooney M20 and Piper PA-34 Seneca.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn serves as captain, with Queen Suthida as first officer, aboard the royal aircraft flying to Hanoi for their state visit to Vietnam from Sept. 14 to 16, 2026. Video courtesy of PR Thai Government
Queen Suthida qualified to fly Boeing 737 aircraft after completing commercial pilot training in Germany. She obtained a commercial pilot license with a Boeing 737 type rating covering the 737-300 through 737-900 series.
In September 2026, Thailand's Civil Aviation Authority renewed her Boeing 737 type rating after she passed periodic proficiency checks.
She has logged 27.09 flight hours on the Boeing 737-400, a twin-engine passenger jet used by airlines and government operators.
The Boeing 737-800 accounts for the largest share of Queen Suthida's documented flight experience on passenger jets. She has accumulated 453.11 flight hours on the aircraft.
The queen has served as co-pilot alongside King Maha Vajiralongkorn on royal flights to destinations including Bhutan and Vietnam.
During their state visit to Bhutan in April 2025, the king served as pilot-in-command while the queen acted as co-pilot.
In October this year, she also piloted a royal Boeing 737 to Japan and back, serving as captain on the eight-hour return flight to Bangkok. The queen is pictured arriving in Japan for an official visit on Oct. 14.
This year, Queen Suthida began training to fly the Swedish-made Saab JAS 39 Gripen, a supersonic fighter jet operated by the Royal Thai Air Force.
She subsequently flew the two-seat JAS 39D Gripen with military instructors, accumulating 10.13 flight hours.
According to Thai PBS World, the queen underwent two periods of training in Surat Thani, from Aug. 20 to Sept. 4 and from Sept. 25 to Oct. 8.
On Oct. 8, Queen Suthida completed her first solo flight in a single-seat Saab JAS 39C Gripen at Wing 7 in Surat Thani.
The queen inspected the aircraft before taking off for a 41-minute flight, with King Maha Vajiralongkorn watching from the ground.
The Gripen is a Swedish-made multirole fighter capable of flying faster than the speed of sound and performing air defense and ground attack missions. Following her landing, the king presented her with flowers and a Golden Gripen Order Patch to mark the achievement.
