He served as Minister of Public Instruction under King Vajiravudh from 1912 to 1916, and laid out the country's first formal education plan.

Mom Rajawongse Pia was born on Tuesday 12th, waxing moon, 5th month, year of the rabbit, which corresponds to 16 April 1867.

[6] Pia began his career in the Department of Education, serving as personal secretary to Prince Damrong and receiving the noble title Luang Phaisansinlapasat (หลวงไพศาลศิลปศาสตร์).

In a letter replying to the King's inquiries on why many of the students were failing in their education, Pia, a strong advocate of meritocracy,[7] wrote that students were being sent regardless of their academic abilities, like sending whole logs to the sawmill; beginning work, only to find a hollow, unusable log, resulted in a waste of time and money.

[3] Pia produced numerous works, most of them textbooks written during his career in the Ministry of Public Instruction, focusing on the subjects of ethics and the Thai language.

These include—in addition to Sombat Khong Phudi—Phonlamueang Di (พลเมืองดี, "The Good Citizen"), Chanya Phaet (จรรยาแพทย์, "Medical Ethics"), Akkharawithi (อักขระวิธี, "Orthography"), Phongsawadan Yo (พงศาวดารย่อ "Abridged Chronicles"), Kham Thiap Ro Lo (คำเทียบ ร.ล., "Comparison of Ro and Lo Words"), Chuai Phuean (ช่วยเพื่อน, "Helping Friends") and Tuean Phuean (เตือนเพื่อน, "Warning Friends").

[3] To the modern Thai public, however, his most familiar work is probably the patriotic song "Samakkhi Chumnum" ("United Gathering"), for which Pia wrote the lyrics, and which and is set to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne".