Thinley is the Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. Prior to his appointment, Thinley served as the Secretary of the Gross National Happiness Commission Secretariat (GNHCS) and the Ministry of Finance. He joined the GNHCS as a Chief Planning Officer and later as the GNHC Director. Thinley has a Bachelor degree in Commerce from the Sherubtse College and MBA from the University of Canberra.