Thayeb was one of the co-founders of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which was founded in 1945 following the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence. The Ministry was initially headquartered in the garage of the country's first Foreign Minister, Achmad Soebardjo, at Jl. Cikini 80-82 in Jakarta. Thayeb was one of the Foreign Ministry's first six staff members. Thayeb served as Indonesia's envoy to numerous countries throughout his diplomatic career, including Ambassador to Italy, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. In 2012, he was appointed an Honorary Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order.