Thailand's Queen Suthida took her first solo flight in a Gripen fighter jet in Surat Thani on Thursday (Oct 8).

Footage shared by the PR Thai Government on Facebook shows the 48-year-old piloting a single-seat JAS 39C from a military air base in Thailand's southern Surat Thani province on Thursday. 

After the flight, Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn presented Suthida with a bouquet and the Gripen Order Golden Patch, an honourary insignia in recognition of her achievement. 

The Queen first qualified as a pilot on May 13, 2010, when she flew a Cessna T-41D of Fleet 604 at Wing 6 in Bangkok.

For this fighter jet flight, she had to undergo weeks of training to prepare, and reportedly stayed in Surat Thani between August and October, reported local media.

She also accumulated around 10 hours in a two-seater Gripen before flying solo, reported local media. 

The Queen was reportedly a former Thai Airways flight attendant before marrying the king in 2019. 

She has since logged nearly 1,190 flying hours in a variety of aircraft. 

She often flies as the king's co-pilot on royal trips and even helped to land a royal plane at Bhutan's notoriously difficult Paro airport in April last year.

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esther.lam@asiaone.com