Thai Queen Suthida solo flies Gripen fighter jet in Surat Thani
On 8 October 2026 at 10:06 local time, Queen Suthida solo‑flew a Saab JAS 39C Gripen from the Surat Thani 7th Wing Base, a flight observed by King Maha Vajiralongkorn, Marshal Seksan Kantha and the 7th Wing Commander.
The flight, lasting about 41 minutes, was part of a Fighter‑Attack Aircraft Type 20 conversion program that included 45 academic and emergency‑procedure lessons, 20 simulator flights, 10 hours in a JAS 39D and solo flights in a JAS 39C; Suthida now has over 1,188 total flight hours, including more than 450 on Boeing 737‑800 aircraft. Thailand has delivered 12 Gripen C/D fighters, with 11 remaining active after a 2017 crash, and ordered four Gripen E/F fighters in August 2025 for delivery by 2030.