The peculiarities of defect formation processes in p-type lead telluride have been investigated using an optical absorption method at T= 300 K. in reality all the samples doped with intrinsic defects have been shown to be self-compensated and to contain anion and cation vacancies in comparable quantities, it was also found that the compensation of the acceptor action of thallium in lead telluride was realized by vacancies of tellure.