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| Special Branch Bureau กองบัญชาการตำรวจสันติบาล | |
|---|---|
 Official Seal | |
| Abbreviation | SBB |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 17 November 1932 |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| National agency | Thailand |
| Operations jurisdiction | Thailand |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Royal Thai Police Headquarters,Pathum Wan,Bangkok, Thailand |
| Agency executive |
|
| Parent agency | Royal Thai Police |
| Website | |
| http://www.sbpolice.go.th/ | |
TheSpecial Branch Bureau orSBB (Thai:กองบัญชาการตำรวจสันติบาล) is a law enforcement agency under theRoyal Thai Police (RTP) responsible for clandestine and covert operations, countering hybrid threats, counterintelligence, counterterrorism, executive protection, intelligence gathering and assessment on threats to national security that are under the responsibility of the police authority, and protects police classified information. Special Branch Bureau has major security functions to the king, queen and all the royal family along with the action on counterintelligence and the intelligence gathering of the person or group that acts as a threat to national security.
The agency was established on 17 November 1932 (Thai solar calendar year 2475) byPrajadhipok on the advice of The House of Representatives. The department is divided into four divisions. Sometimes referred to by critics as the "political police", it is responsible for controlling subversive activities and serves as the Thai Police's major intelligence gathering and counterintelligence organization, as well as the unit responsible for VIPs protection.
A police tactical unit called the "Black Tiger" is under the control of the Special Branch. It handles VIPs protection operations.[1]
A Special Branch Bureau (SBB) division exists in the Royal Thai Police as part of its Crime Prevention and Suppression Support Group.[2] Aside from intelligence gathering and counterintelligence, they provide protection to VIPs[3] alongside the Bangkok Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) and Armed Forces Security Centre.[4] They handle matters that have to do with citizenship, such as the renunciation of Thai nationality.[5] Foreign nationals living in Thailand go to the Special Branch office to secure a Thai police clearance certificate.[6][7] Other cases such aslèse majesté, terrorism, and anything that endangers Thai national security are also handled by the Thai SBB.[8][9][10]
The SBB worked with theMalaysian Special Branch during theCold War.[11] During that time, SBB officers were involved in theRed Drum killings, 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 MinisterThanom Kittikachorn.[12]
The SBB was accused of human rights violations toward Falun Gong practitioners.[13] They have been promoted as a means of routing political opposition to the government.[14] The division stirred controversy in the run-up to the2007 general election when media revealed that the SBB had conducted its own opinion poll to assess the probable electoral outcome.[15] In response to similar stories before the2011 general election, the SB characterised its gathering of data as a study rather than a poll.[16]
27 November 2007: The National Police Commissioner is questioned by the Prime Minister's Office on why the Special Branch Police Bureau conducted an election opinion poll.
Special Branch had gathered information about the coming [July 3 election] for a report sent directly to the police chief, but that was not an opinion survey in the form the media reported.