Queen Suthida Pilots Royal Boeing 737-800 to Japan
Queen Suthida of Thailand piloted the royal Boeing 737-800 aircraft herself from Bangkok to Sapporo on October 14, 2026, landing at New Chitose Airport at 10:05 a.m. local time. The flight marks the beginning of a nine-day official visit to Japan to attend the 2027 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Women’s Asia and Oceania Championship.
👑✈️ Thailand's Queen flies a Gripen fighter jet solo — making historyOn October 8, Queen Suthida completed her first solo flight in a Swedish-made Saab JAS 39C Gripen fighter jet.She took off from Wing 7 Air Base in Surat Thani and spent around 41 minutes in the air. Her… pic.twitter.com/yGD3LUMt3Z
The visit runs through October 22, 2026, at the invitation of the IIHF president. Government public relations officials stated that the Queen serves as the federation’s first global ambassador and will present medals and trophies to participating athletes during the tournament. After arriving in Hokkaido, Queen Suthida drove her own vehicle to her hotel in Sapporo. The aircraft departed from the Don Mueang Military Airport in Bangkok.
Aviation Training and Royal Copilot Duties
Before stepping into the royal role, Queen Suthida graduated from Assumption University in Bangkok with a bachelor’s degree in communication arts. She worked as a flight attendant for Japan Airlines from 2000 to 2003 and for Thai Airways International from 2003 to 2008 before joining the Royal Guard operational staff. She began formal aviation training in 2010, completing Royal Thai Air Force civil flight courses using Cessna T-41 and CT-4E aircraft, alongside fixed-wing cadet training with the Royal Thai Army. She completed a Royal Thai Air Force civil flight course on December 8, 2010, flying a Cessna T-41, and finished Army fixed-wing cadet training at the Army Aviation School on January 16, 2011, also using a Cessna T-41. On December 6, 2012, she completed flight training at the Royal Thai Air Force Flying Training School, flying CT-4E and PC-9 aircraft.
Following her marriage to King Maha Vajiralongkorn in 2019, she logged nearly 1,190 flight hours and frequently served as the King’s copilot on international state visits. Notable previous flights include a diplomatic flight to Hanoi, Vietnam, in September 2026. Prior to that, King Rama X flew the royal Boeing 737-800 to Paro International Airport in Bhutan in April 2025 with Suthida as copilot. King Rama X and Queen Suthida then flew their private Boeing 737-800 to Hanoi, Vietnam, on September 14, 2026.
Historic Solo Fighter Jet Flight in Surat Thani
Weeks before her flight to Japan, Queen Suthida completed a fighter pilot training program involving L-39 advanced jet trainers and flight simulators at Don Mueang, alongside technical briefings at Wing 7 in Surat Thani. She underwent intensive fighter jet flight training from August 20 to September 4 under the Royal Thai Air Force. Flight instructors and flight specialists oversaw the program and provided guidance throughout the training. She completed training sessions with L-39 advanced jet trainer aircraft at the Royal Thai Air Force Flying Training School in Kamphaeng Saen district, Nakhon Pathom, and completed simulator sessions at the Royal Thai Air Force facility in Don Mueang. She also made private visits to Wing 7, the main operating base for Thailand’s Gripen 39 C/D fleet, to study the aircraft’s technical systems.
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