Her work often explores "the interplay of place, space, the body and cultural identity,"[1] and uses augmented reality (AR) as her platform.

Thiel has had many other exhibits, some of the most notable being her shows "Beyond Manzanar" (a piece about a World War II-era Japanese-American internment camp in California), "The Travels of Mariko Horo", and "Shades of Absence".

Beyond Manzanar is a large scale, immersive, virtual reality (VR) artwork Thiel co-created in 2000 with Iranian-American artist, Zara Houshmand.

[18] As you walk around and explore the camp, you physically constrained by the landscape and features, emphasizing the emotional feelings of confinement.

[11] Clouding Green was a 2012 augmented reality (AR) installation taking place in various locations in Silicon Valley and in San Francisco.

[19] Unexpected Growth was site specific to the sixth floor terrace of the museum, showing coral growing on the building alongside small trash and slowly bleaching color over the span of one day.