Controversy arose as rumor spread that General Arthit Kamlang-ek was secretly backing the party.

In the fall of 1990, when Prime Minister Chatichai Choonhavan threatened to expel the party from his government coalition, founder Kukrit was asked to return briefly to replace Siddhi Savetsila.

[8] After splitting into two factions as a result of a power struggle in 1999, the party once again withdrew from the government led by Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai, with 17 Parliament members withdrawing from the ruling coalition.

In the 2011 Thai general election, the Social Action Party won 0.3% of party-list votes and no seats.

The Social Action Party was dissolved in 2018 due to an order of the Election Commission of Thailand.