In this paper, the principle and theoretical treatment of pulsed photothermal deflection (PPTD) measurement of the optical absorption coefficients of optically dense samples were presented. The optical absorption coefficients of KMnO4 solutions of different concentrations at 532 nm wavelength were determined experimentally and were directly compared with the values obtained by transmission spectroscopic method.The data were in good agreement. The optical absorption coefficient of a 632.8 nm wavelength filter was also determined.