The agency was established on 17 November 1932 (Thai solar calendar year 2475) by Royal Decree of His Majesty King Prajadhipok's by the advice of The House of Representatives.

A Special Branch Bureau (SBB) division exists in the Royal Thai Police as part of its Crime Prevention and Suppression Support Group.

[1] Aside from intelligence gathering, they provide protection to VIPs[2] alongside the Bangkok Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) and Armed Forces Security Centre.

[4] Foreign nationals living in Thailand go to the Special Branch office to secure a Thai police clearance certificate.

[13] The division stirred controversy in the run-up to the 2007 general election when media revealed that the SBB had conducted its own opinion poll to assess the probable electoral outcome.