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Special Branch Bureau (SBB)

Having jurisdiction over the entire country, the Central Investigation Bureau was organized to assist both provincial and metropolitan components of the TNPD in preventing and suppressing criminal activity and in minimizing threats to national security. The specialized units of the bureau, including the railway, marine, highway, and forestry police, employed up-to-date technical equipment, law enforcement techniques, and training. In addition to the specialized units, five other divisions and offices employed modern procedures to assist in investigating and preventing crime. The Crime Suppression Division — one of the bureau's largest components — was responsible for conducting most of the technical investigations of criminal offenses throughout the kingdom. Its emergency unit coped with riots and other public disorders, sabotage, counterfeiting, fraud, illegal gambling operations, narcotics trafficking, and the activities of secret societies and organized criminal associations.

The Special Branch — sometimes referred to by critics as the "political police" — was responsible for controlling subversive activities and served as the TNPD's chief intelligence organization. The Criminal Records Office collected and maintained records required in the conduct of police work, including dossiers and fingerprints of known criminals and persons suspected of wrongdoing. At the well-equipped Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory, technicians performed the requisite chemical and physical analyses. The Licenses Division registered and licensed fire- arms, vehicles, gambling establishments, and various other items and enterprises as required by law.

Intelligence and security agencies in Thailand have been on high alert since the 11 September incident. Thai intelligence agencies, both civilian and military/law enforcement, have placed a high priority on information sharing and networking with their foreign counterparts, especially the U.S. agencies.

In September 2019 human rights groups publicly condemned an official request by the police’s Special Branch Bureau (SBB) to universities nationwide to supply information on Muslim student groups after the directive was made public. Prime Minister Prayut responded by calling the police request necessary in light of the series of explosions in Bangkok in August believed to be linked to Muslim elements, arguing the data would be used for “the creation of an intelligence database” and that “no rights have been breached.” Muslim students, however, filed a petition calling the data collection a rights violation. The SBB reportedly withdrew its request in October, according to FFP Member of Parliament Rangsiman Rome, spokesperson for the House Committee on Law, Justice, and Human Rights, who said the SBB assured the panel it would abandon the data-collection practice. Three police officials, however, refused to verify the reversal, instead indicating the data collection had only been suspended, not ended.