Special Branch - Thailand

Thailand

A Special Branch division exists under the Royal Thai Police, serving as its main intelligence unit. Aside from doing intelligence, they also provide close protection support to VIPs alongside the Bangkok Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) and Armed Forces Security Centre. They handle matters that have anything to do with citizenship such as the renunciation of Thai nationality. Foreign nationals living in Thailand go to the Special Branch office to secure a Thai police clearance certificate. Other cases such as lèse majesté, terrorism and anything that endangers Thai national security are also handled by the Thai SB.

They have worked together with the Malaysian Special Branch during the Cold War. 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.

The SB was accused of human rights violations toward Falun Gong practitioners. They are also being touted as a means of routing political opposition against the government. The division was also accused of interfering in political matters.

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