If she successfully completes the program and flies the aircraft unassisted, she could become the first reigning queen in the world to pilot a fighter jet, according to local reports.
The privately arranged training program began Aug. 20 and will run through Sept. 4. It strictly follows the Royal Thai Air Force’s (RTAF) standard training sequence for the Swedish-made tactical aircraft.
Flight instructors and aviation specialists are supervising the 48-year-old queen throughout the program, providing guidance during each stage of the training, according to the news outlet Tiger.
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Thailand's Queen Suthida starts training on the Gripen fighter jet, Aug. 20, 2026. Photo via Facebook/We love Queen Suthida. We love Her Majesty Queen Suthida Bajrasudha Bimalalakshana |
Before advancing to the Gripen, Queen Suthida trained on the L-39 advanced jet trainer at the RTAF Flying Training School in Kamphaeng Saen, Nakhon Pathom.
She has also completed multiple simulator sessions, including recent exercises at an Air Force facility in Don Mueang.
The queen has made several private visits to Wing 7, which serves as Thailand’s main base for its Gripen 39 C/D fleet. During these visits, she studied the aircraft’s complex systems and met with operational pilots.
In July, the RTAF celebrated the 15th anniversary of the Gripen 39 C/D fighter jets and Saab 340 airborne early-warning aircraft entering service at Wing 7.
A former flight attendant for Thai Airways, the queen has steadily built her piloting credentials over the past decade, according to Reuters.
She completed the RTAF Civilian Aviation Course in December 2010 and the Army Fixed-Wing Aviation Cadet Course in January 2011, flying the Cessna T-41 for both programs.
By December 2012, she had finished an advanced aviation course at the RTAF Flying Training School, where she operated CT-4E and PC-9 aircraft.
Her international training in Germany included earning a Private Pilot License covering the Cessna 172, Mooney M-20, and Piper PA-34 Seneca.
She later obtained a Commercial Pilot License with a Boeing 737 type rating and completed the theoretical requirements for an Airline Transport Pilot License, according to The Nation.
Queen Suthida subsequently received a full Airline Transport Pilot License from Thailand’s Civil Aviation Authority. She has already put this to use, serving as a co-pilot on royal Boeing 737-400 and Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
The current Gripen program marks a significant leap in her aviation journey, transitioning her from civilian, military, and commercial passenger planes to a high-performance, operational fighter jet.