Between 1997 and 2000 she carried out PhD research at the University of Cambridge on another NUS Overseas Graduate Scholarship, and was duly conferred this degree in 2000.

In March 2006, she was a visiting lecturer at the Faculty of Law of the University of Hong Kong, where she was one of the academics teaching a course on "National Protection of Human Rights".

In September of that year she returned to the University of Melbourne as a senior fellow of its graduate law programme to teach a course entitled "Constitutionalism in Asian Societies".

[5] Thio was to be a visiting human rights professor at New York University School of Law in the fall of 2009 until she withdrew her acceptance in July 2009.

[22] On 22 July 2009, she informed the school of her withdrawal from the appointment, citing hostility by its community towards her views and low enrolment;[19][23] it was reported that only 9 students applied for her course on human rights and 5 for her other course on constitutionalism.

In the course of the debate in Parliament, Thio gave a speech to support the continued criminalisation of sexual activity between males, and likened gay sex to "shoving a straw up your nose to drink.

"[27] At the same time, Thio mentioned the existence of an active gay agenda that seeks to lobby the government and radically change sexual norms.

[28] Local journalist Janadas Devan, in a feature article in The Straits Times on 27 October, titled "377A debate and the rewriting of pluralism", the pointed out that the speech was heavily laced with phrases and imagery from the Dominionist movement.

[29] Another Straits Times writer, Chua Mui Hoong, also wrote an article titled "Rules of Engagement for God and Politics" on 16 November 2007.

However, Chua disagreed that religion has been antagonised in Singapore, and encouraged that specific explanation be given as to how the repeal of a law would in reality harm the Singaporean society.

[31] During the debate, Thio revealed that playwright Alfian Sa'at had sent her a short email saying, among other things, that "I hope I outlive you long enough to see the repeal of 377A and on that day I will piss on your grave.

[33] Subsequently, in November 2007, Thio was alerted by the media to an anonymous threatening letter addressed to her stating: "We know where you work, we'll send people there to hunt you down".

Han Fook Kwang, then editor of The Straits Times, responded in an editorial and expressed his sadness at the vindictiveness of "critics and the length to which they are prepared to go to attack our professionalism" and integrity, detailing the sequence of events and how their journalists had investigated and reported on the proceedings.

In an interview with the local daily The Straits Times on 2 November 2007, Thio shared her personal story of how she converted from a "very, very arrogant" atheist to a Christian in 1987.