Photothermal deflection spectroscopy (PDS) emerges as a highly sensitive noncontact technique for measuring absorption spectra and serves for studying defect states within semiconductor thin films. In our study, we applied PDS to methylammonium lead bromide single crystals. By analyzing the frequency dependence of the PDS spectra and the phase difference of the signal, we can differentiate between surface and bulk deep defect absorption states. This methodology allowed us to investigate the effects of bismuth doping and light-induced degradation. The identified absorption states are attributed to MA+ vibrational states and structural defects, and their influence on the nonradiative recombination probability is discussed. This distinction significantly enhances our capability to characterize and analyze perovskite materials at a deeper level.