[1] Cholchineepan's first job at the ministry was a four-year period working to handle the large influx of Cambodian and Burmese refugees, followed by her first international posting to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
After four years in this post she returned to Bangkok and was assigned to work with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, headquartered in the city.
On completion of her time in Canada, Cholchineepan returned to Bangkok and was promoted to ambassador, with responsibility for East and Southeast Asian affairs.
This gave her responsibility for almost 100,000 Thai nationals living in Germany, overseen by the embassy and assisted by a consulate general in Frankfurt.
[1] This required further separation from her family, her daughter having stayed in Canada for her education, while her husband had been appointed ambassador to Sri Lanka.