Thinley was born in
Bumthang and joined the civil service in 1976 upon receiving a graduate degree from
The Pennsylvania State University. He received an undergraduate degree from
St. Stephen's College, Delhi. In February 1987, Thinley was awarded the title of
Dasho and the
Red Scarf, and in 1990, under the zonal system, he became administrator of the Eastern Zone. He then became secretary in the
Ministry of Home Affairs in 1992 before being appointed Deputy Minister of Home Affairs in January 1994, at which time he was also awarded the
Orange Scarf. Later in 1994, he was appointed Bhutan's Permanent Representative to the
United Nations office and other international organizations in
Geneva. In July 2009, Thinley became a member of the
SNV Netherlands Development Organisation's International Advisory Board. ==Personal life==