JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<p>Sometimes you have to remove the current options in order to manipulate the selected options.</p>
<p>Here is an example how to append options:</p>

    <select id="mySelectId" class="chosen-select" multiple="multiple">
      <option value=""></option>
      <option value="Argentina">Argentina</option>
      <option value="Germany">Germany</option>
      <option value="Greece">Greece</option>
      <option value="Japan">Japan</option>
      <option value="Thailand">Thailand</option>
    </select>
    
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/chosen/1.8.7/chosen.min.css" />
    
    <script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/jquery/3.3.1/jquery.min.js"></script>
    <script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/chosen/1.8.7/chosen.jquery.min.js"></script>
    
    <script>
  	activateChosen($('body'));
		selectChosenOptions($('#mySelectId'), ['Argentina', 'Germany']);
		selectAdditionalChosenOptions($('#mySelectId'), ['Thailand']);
    
    /**
     * Activate or refresh chosen selects within a container
     * @param $container
     * @param param
     */
    function activateChosen($container, param) {
        param = param || {};
        $container.find('.chosen-select:visible').chosen(param);
        $container.find('.chosen-select').trigger("chosen:updated");
    }

    function selectChosenOptions($select, values) {
        $select.val(null);                                  //delete current options
        $select.val(values);                                //add new options
        $select.trigger('chosen:updated');
    }
    
    /**
     * Select additional options in a multi select chosen
     * @param $select jQuery selector for a multi select
     * @param values array with strings
     */
    function selectAdditionalChosenOptions($select, values) {
        var selected = $select.val() || [];                 //get current options
        selected = selected.concat(values);                 //merge with...