It marked the emergence of luk thung, a Thai counterpart to such crooning styles as Japanese enka and Indonesian kroncong.

Because of "16 Years of Our Past", perhaps Sombatcharoen's most popular song, the 16-year period has become symbolic for numerologically minded Thai people.

The 1983 documentary "Two Faces of Thailand: A Musical Portrait" (part of the Beats of the Heart series) included a segment on luk thung, following Surachai Sombacharoen, Suraphol Sombatcharoen's son, on tour with a show that included a tribute to Suraphol, as well as interviews with family members.

Surabodin Sombatcharoen, the son of Surachai Sombacharoen and the grandson of Suraphol, sang in front of a packed hall at the Thailand Cultural Centre on 16 August 2001.

Sombatcharoen's song "Mai Luem" ("Don't forget") was featured in the 2001 film Monrak Transistor, which was directed by Pen-Ek Ratanaruang.