Thai Queen Suthida completes solo Gripen flight at Surat Thani base

Queen Suthida of Thailand flew a Saab JAS 39C Gripen solo for the first time on 8 October 2026 at the Royal Thai Air Force’s Wing 7 in Surat Thani province, taking off at 10:06 local time and remaining airborne for 41 minutes while King Maha Vajiralongkorn and senior RTAF officials observed the sortie.

The flight marked the completion of a conversion course for the Fighter‑Attack Aircraft Type 20, which began with 45 academic and emergency‑procedure subjects between June and July 2026 and included 20 simulator sorties; the Queen had previously logged about 10 hours on the two‑seat JAS 39D Gripen before transitioning to the single‑seat version, and after landing the King presented her with a bouquet and a Golden Gripen Order Patch, making her a full member of the Gripen Order.