A Special Branch division exists under the Royal Thai Police, placed under its Crime Prevention and Suppression Support Group.[27] Aside from doing intelligence, they also provide close protection support to VIPs[28] alongside the Bangkok Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) and Armed Forces Security Centre.[29] They handle matters that have anything to do with citizenship such as the renunciation of Thai nationality.[30] Foreign nationals living in Thailand go to the Special Branch office to secure a Thai police clearance certificate.[31][32] Other cases such as lèse majesté, terrorism and anything that endangers Thai national security are also handled by the Thai SB.[33][34][35]
They have worked together with the Malaysian Special Branch during the Cold War.[36] During that time, SB officers were involved in the Red Drum Massacre, in which 3,008 accused of being pro-communist were burned to death from 200-litre (44 imp gal; 53 US gal) red drums alive or semi-conscious and incinerated during the administration of Prime Minister Thanom Kittikachorn.[37]
The SB was accused of human rights violations toward Falun Gong practitioners.[38][39] They are also being touted as a means of routing political opposition against the government.[40] The division was also accused of interfering in political matters.[41]
A special police unit called the Black Tiger is under the control of the Special Branch, which does VIP protection operations.[42]