On the 14th, Queen Suthida of Thailand (Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana) personally piloted a royal aircraft to Japan for a nine-day visit to attend the 2027 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Women’s Asia Championship.
Although designated as the 2027 tournament, the event will actually take place from October 15 to 18, 2026. According to reports from TV Asahi and VnExpress, Queen Suthida is an active promoter of ice hockey in Thailand; she is both an athlete and a dedicated advocate for the sport, having previously participated in ice hockey events in Thailand and Italy. She is visiting Japan in her capacity as the first-ever female Global Ambassador for the IIHF, at the invitation of the federation’s president.
Thailand’s Public Relations Department stated that on the 14th, Queen Suthida personally piloted a royal Boeing 737-800 aircraft, departing from Don Mueang Military Airport in Bangkok. She landed at New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido at 10:05 a.m. local time and subsequently drove herself to a hotel in Sapporo. She is scheduled to present medals and trophies to the participating athletes.
Before marrying the King in 2019, Queen Suthida worked as a flight attendant for Thai Airways. She began flight training in 2010, receiving instruction at aviation schools—including those affiliated with the Royal Thai Air Force—and earning her pilot’s license. To date, she has accumulated nearly 1,190 flight hours.
On the 8th, in the presence of King Vajiralongkorn—who is also highly experienced in aviation—Queen Suthida completed a solo flight in a JAS 39C Gripen fighter jet, becoming the first reigning queen in the world to pilot a combat aircraft.
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