Thai king, queen fly own plane to Hanoi for state visit

Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua and Queen Suthida arrived in Hanoi on Monday afternoon, beginning a state visit to Vietnam at the invitation of General Secretary and State President To Lam and his spouse, from Monday to Wednesday.

It is the first state visit to Vietnam by the Thai king and queen since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1976.

The first images from Vietnam show King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida personally at the control of their aircraft as they landed at Noi Bai International Airport, marking the start of their state visit.

The king took the captain’s seat on the left, while the queen sat beside him in the co-pilot’s seat.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn, born in 1952, served in the Royal Thai Army and held several important command and other positions.

He has been known for his passion for and experience in flying aircraft since he was crown prince. 

He received formal training as a military pilot and was certified to fly Northrop F-5, F-16, and Boeing 737-400 aircraft. 

In 1994, he served as an instructor for F-5E/F fighter pilots.

In 2012, he personally piloted a charity flight carrying passengers to Khon Kaen to pay homage to a Buddha relic. 

The flight raised funds to support disadvantaged students across the country, according to The Nation Thailand.

The king holds the highest rank in all three branches of the Thai armed forces: General of the Royal Thai Army, Admiral of the Royal Thai Navy, and Marshal of the Royal Thai Air Force.

Queen Suthida worked in the aviation industry before joining the military. 

She married King Maha Vajiralongkorn in 2019 and was subsequently crowned queen.

The king and queen have personally flown their aircraft on several foreign trips, including a landing at Paro Airport in Bhutan, considered one of the world's most challenging airports for pilots.