Hem was then acquainted with artist Carlo Rigoli, architect Mario Tamagno and engineer Emilio Giovanni Gollo.

Hem found himself drawn to the work in the Throne Hall, and Rigoli, who was the interior designer, allowed him to carry the paint.

In 1930 Hem was selected as one of the artists to renovate the murals in Wat Phra Kaew (the Emerald Buddha temple) during Bangkok’s 150th anniversary celebrations.

He was responsible for renovating murals in room 69, which depicts a scene from the Ramayana of Phra Rama killing Mangkorn Kan. After the work was complete, Hem and some friends set up the Ploenchit publishing house, which printed a series of 10-satang graphic novels between 1932 and 1935.

When the war ended he went back to freelancing and wrote an illustrated series of ghost stories, which have inspired many Thai artists.

His old student Payut would go on to create Thailand's first cel-animated feature film, The Adventure of Sudsakorn, based on Sunthorn Phu's work.

[6] Before his death in 1969, Hem was engaged by King Bhumibol Adulyadej to create oil paintings that would be given as gifts to royal visitors.