After earning her Ph.D. in Architecture History and Theory from the University of Michigan in 1999, Piyalada began her teaching career at the Faculty of Architecture, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. Her responsibility includes undergraduate and graduate courses in architectural design and theory, such as second year Architectural Design studios, Contemporary Architectural Theory and Aesthetics in Architecture. Her research interests include a history of modern Thai architecture and environmental aesthetic discourse the Thai context, as well as the aesthetics of Thai architecture.