Social Action Party

The Social Action Party (Thai: พรรคกิจสังคม, RTGS: Phak Kit Sangkhom) was a political party in Thailand.

Social Action Party
พรรคกิจสังคม
LeaderThongphun Diphrai
Secretary-GeneralSayomphu Kiatsayomohu
FounderKukrit Pramoj
Founded4 November 1974 (1974-11-04)
Dissolved19 October 2018 (2018-10-19)
HeadquartersKhon Kaen, Thailand
IdeologyLiberal conservatism[1]
Progressivism[2]
Economic liberalism[3]
Constitutional monarchism
Political positionCentre-left (1970s)[4]
Centre-right (1980s)[5]
Website
Social Action Party

History

The Social Action Party was formed by the more liberal members of the Democrat Party in 1974 under the leadership of Kukrit Pramoj.[3] After Kukrit resigned the office of the party leader in December 1985, the former minister of foreign affairs and deputy party leader, Siddhi Savetsila, led the party.

Internal conflict during the 1986 parliamentary election resulted in a significant loss for the party. Controversy arose as rumor spread that General Arthit Kamlang-ek was secretly backing the party. By May 1986, with financial support from big businesses, a faction of the party split off with Boontheng Thongsawasdi to form the United Democracy Party, which proved to be unsuccessful.[3]

Corruption scandals continued to devastate 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. Partly because Chatichai had previously served Kukrit as foreign minister, Chatichai ultimately decided not to expel the party.[6]

In December 1990, along with the Democratic Party, the Social Action Party withdrew entirely from Chatichai's government coalition, though it later rejoined Suchinda Kraprayoon's government in April 1992. It left the pro-military coaliliton in June 1992.[7]

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.[8] In 2000, many of the members, including former leader Suwit Khunkitti, left Social Action for the Thai Rak Thai party.[9]

2001–2018

By the year 2001, the Social Action Party had lost much of the political support it had back in the 1970s. The 2001 election resulted in the party winning only one seat in parliament. In 2003, the party was disbanded.[10] The party was revived in 2008 as Suwit returned. He was a member of the Cabinet of Thailand under Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's coalition government. 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.[11]

Ideology

The Social Action Party advocated pro-free-enterprise fiscal policies.[3]

Leader
  • Mom Rajawongse Kukrit Pramoj (1974–1985)
  • Air Chief Marshal Siddhi Savetsila (1985–1990)
  • M.R. Kukrit Pramoj (again, shortly in 1990)
  • Montri Pongpanich (1990–1998)[12]
  • Boonphan Kaewattana (1998–1999)
  • Suwit Khunkitti (1999–2000)
  • Payung Nopsuwan (2000–2003)
  • Jetsada Tantibunchachai (2003–2004)
  • Attapol Chainansmith (2004–2007)
  • Tongpool Deepai (2008–2018)

General election results
Election Total seats won Total votes Share of votes Outcome of election Election leader
1975
18 / 269
 1,982,168 10.8% Increase18 seats Kukrit Pramoj
1976
45 / 279
 3,272,170 17.5% Increase27 seats Kukrit Pramoj
1979
82 / 301
 4,179,174 21.1% Increase37 seats Kukrit Pramoj
1983
92 / 324
 7,103,177 26.8% Increase10 seats Kukrit Pramoj
1986
51 / 347
 4,560,615 12.1% Decrease40 seats Siddhi Savetsila
1988
54 / 357
 4,651,161 11.8% Increase3 seats Siddhi Savetsila
1992 (Mar)
31 / 360
 3,586,714 8.1% Decrease23 seats Montri Pongpanich
1992 (Sep)
22 / 360
 1,863,360 4.0% Decrease9 seats Montri Pongpanich
1995
22 / 391
 2,201,218 4.0% Montri Pongpanich
1996
20 / 393
 3,036,544 5.3% Decrease2 seats Montri Pongpanich
2001
1 / 500
 Decrease19 seats Payung Nopsuwan
2005
0 / 500
 Decrease1 seats Attapol Chainansmith
2006
0 / 500
 Attapol Chainansmith
2007
0 / 480
2011
0 / 500
 Tongpool Deepai
2014
0 / 500
 Invalidated Invalidated Nullified Tongpool Deepai

References
  1. "Data" (PDF). www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 23, 2018. Retrieved 2019-12-13.
  2. Leifer, Michael (1995), "Kukrit Pramoj", Dictionary of the Modern Politics of South-East Asia, Taylor & Francis, p. 94, ISBN 9780203198599
  3. "Thai Political Parties". United States Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress.
  4. Sangchai, Somporn (1979), "Some Observations on the Elections and Coalition Formation in Thailand, 1976", Modern Thai Politics, Transaction Publishers, p. 378, ISBN 9781412828871
  5. Derbyshire, J. Denis; Derbyshire, Ian (1989), Political systems of the world, Chambers, p. 122, ISBN 9780550210081
  6. Erlanger, Steven (September 30, 1990). "For Thai Politician, a Break From Retirement". The New York Times. Retrieved May 23, 2010.
  7. Levine, Marvin (1997). Worker Rights and Labor Standards in Asia's Four New Tigers. New York, NY: Plenum Press. p. 224. ISBN 0-306-45477-7.
  8. "THAILAND: Electoral Timing". Oxford Analytica.
  9. Wingfield, Tom (2002), "Democratization and economic crisis in Thailand", Political Business in East Asia, Routledge, p. 295, ISBN 9780415271486
  10. "Response to Information Request: Thailand". Canada Country of Origin Research. Archived from the original on 2007-05-20.
  11. admin (2018-10-20). "ปิดตำนาน 'พรรคกิจสังคม' สิ้นสภาพความเป็นพรรคการเมือง". News.mthai.com. Retrieved 2019-12-13.
  12. "Passage". CNN.
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