Thailand’s Queen Suthida makes history with her first solo flight in Gripen fighter; watch viral video here

In a historic first, Suthida, the Queen of Thailand, made a solo flight when she flew a Gripen fighter jet in Surat Thani on Thursday (October 8, 2026). As she took the flight, she was watched by King Maha Vajiralongkorn at an air base in Surat Thani Province.

The Thursday flight by Thailand’s first female Gripen pilot came after four months of intensive military training. She achieved this feat after 16 years of flying experience, which included Boeing 737 jets. During this tenure, she took international flights alongside the king.

Prior to boarding the flight, the 48-year-old Queen received His Majesty the King at Wing 7 in Phun Phin district of the southern province at 10:00 a.m., as reported by the Bangkok Post.


The Queen took off in a single-seat JAS 39C Gripen from Wing 7 in Phun Phin District. Her flight lasted 41 minutes, VN Express International reported, citing a palace account carried by Thai business daily Krungthep Turakij.

A briefing on the flight plan was held before the flight. From there, the royal couple headed towards the parking bay of the jet, where the Queen checked the plane before taking it to Runway 22 for takeoff.


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The cockpit footage of Queen Suthida herself piloting Gripen C during her first solo flight surfaced on social media platform X. She was presented with a bouquet and the Gripen Order Golden Patch by his Majesty after the flight, according to The Bangkok Post and VN Express.

When did Queen Suthida take her first-ever flight?

The first flight experience for Queen Suthida came on May 13, 2010, when she flew a Cessna T-41D of Fleet 604 at Wing 6 in Bangkok, according to the Bangkok Post.

Since then, she accumulated 1,188.48 flying hours in multiple aircraft: 315.33 hours in a Cessna T-41, 38.35 hours in a CT-4E Airtrainer, 105.59 hours in a Pilatus PC-9, 98.40 hours in a Mooney M20M, 137.50 hours in a Piper PA-34 Seneca, 27.09 hours in a Boeing 737-400, 453.11 hours in a Boeing 737-800 and 10.13 hours in a twin-seater Saab JAS 39D Gripen, the outlet reported.