The SEAP Games was conceptualized by Luang Sukhum Nayapradit, then vice-president of the Thailand Olympic Committee.

[2] The first SEAP Games were held in Bangkok from 12 to 17 December 1959, with more than 527 athletes and officials from 6 countries; Burma (now Myanmar), Laos, Malaya, Singapore, South Vietnam and Thailand participated in 12 sports.

East Timor, one year after gaining independence from Indonesia, was admitted at the 22nd SEA Games in 2003.

The number of rings was again increased to 11 during the 2011 Games in Indonesia to reflect the federation's newest member, East Timor, which was admitted in 2003.

The 3rd SEAP Games then passed to Laos as hosts, but they begged off the 1965 event citing financial difficulties.

Each sport would not offer more than 5% of the total medal tally, except for athletics, aquatics and shooting (the shot was elevated for this category in 2013).

[11][12] Corrected after balancing the data of the Olympic Council of Asia and other archived sites which had kept the previous Southeast Asian Games medal tables.

As of 2019, Singaporean swimmer Joscelin Yeo has won the most Southeast Asian Games medals with 55 (40 gold, 12 silver, 3 bronze).

She reached this milestone during the 2005 Games, overtaking the previous record of 39 gold medals set by another Singaporean swimmer, Patricia Chan.