Pronto2

2 minutes ago, Pronto2 said:

This past May/June --- mailed application package to Bangkok.  Received passport back here in Chiang Mai exactly 3 weeks from the day the application was received in Bangkok.

Additionally, when I received the new passport I noticed that the "date of issue" (as stamped on the passport) was only 4 days after the application package had been received in Bangkok. I figured then, as another poster verified, that the application must surely have been forwarded electronically to the U.S. for processing there and the remainder of the time was all for the time it took to return it to Thailand.  Really, quite excellent service.

This past May/June --- mailed application package to Bangkok.  Received passport back here in Chiang Mai exactly 3 weeks from the day the application was received in Bangkok.

16 hours ago, button said:

Thanks to the two who replied.  History:  In the past I had used ATV for maybe 5 years.  Totally satisfied until the English visa manager who left several years ago was replaced by another individual who couldn't spell the word 'customer service.'  I also noticed about this time that the Thai staff was dwindling and not as many customers.  I went elsewhere -- equally bad.  Left a message today for the ATV 'visa manager' to return my call.  He has yet to do so -- don't expect he will.  So, now in need of a visa agency again.  Is  there any other place, other than ATV, who can at least call one back?

Ah, that may well explain the less than cordial encounter I recently had with a Western staff member there.  I had been working with a Thai staff member quite satisfactorily during a couple of visits relative to a visa matter.  But one morning, while waiting a few minutes for the Thai staff person to become available, the Western fellow approached, without introducing himself, and in a rather brusque manner asked what I was waiting on.  Your comment that he could not “spell the word customary service” hits the nail squarely on the head.  Exactly!  I’m happy with the Thai staff, not so much this “visa manager”.

If flying into BKK, you could have the option of Bell Bus.  Quite comfortable and punctual, with departures throughout the day.  

https://belltravelservice.com/

On 12/1/2022 at 10:26 PM, noise said:

I did contact them for a widow I was helping, dealing with them only via email and their web site.  Forgotten the exact details but it was actually a situation that sounds similar to yours.  And old issue challenging a refund  from several years in the past rationale for which was submitted several times.  Letter documenting were on file.  I provided it all and the Advocate got the issue closed as if it had just gotten lost in the files somewhere.

 

I would not hesitate to contact them again the minute I run across another problem that won't resolve itself. 

 

So I highly recommend you contact the advocate for your area.   

Thank you for this insight and for sharing.

As we all know, the pleasure and happiness of living here in Thailand can, at times, be diminished a bit by difficulties in taking care of business back home, especially if that home is the U.S. and the business has anything to do with the federal government agencies.

I’m interested to know if anyone has dealt with the U.S. IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service? And would be interested to know of the quality of the service, ease of communication, helpfulness, etc.

After smooth sailing all my adult life, I’ve now a tax filing problem that began five years ago with their withholding yearly refunds for some undefined “past tax obligation”. Now, after those five years and services of two different accounting firms, we’re no nearer understanding what the IRS complaint is and what it is they want. All we (me and the accountants) receive is yet another “we need more time” reply from them.

Certainly the accountants know more than I do, but by now after five years something surely should have been resolved or at least made more clear. So, I’m considering contacting the Taxpayer Advocate myself to ask for an answer to the simple question, “Just what is the problem; and what do you guys want?”  Just interested on some recon about the Taxpayer Advocate Service before I start.  Thanks!

2 hours ago, Pib said:

@Pronto2@oncebefore

 

Both of you mentioned you received the 2nd notice this week (week of 14 Nov).   To determine how long it took to get to you thru the mail what date was on the 2nd notice and/or included 7162?   Sometimes the date is just a line printed at the "very top" of the form which indicates when it was generated and should have been mailed very shortly after that.

 

And what part of Thailand are you located in as different parts get foreign mail faster/slower than other parts?

 

According to SSA instructions/regulation the SSA is suppose to mail the 2nd notice sometime in September....see partial quote at bottom.   But maybe since the SSA hasn't mailed the form for the past two years they took longer to get the 2nd notice mailed out.   If you just got the form that seems like a long time in the mail system unless a date on the 2nd notice/7162 indicates it was generated/mailed much later than September...like maybe mid-late Oct.   I get mail from the SSA/other govt agencies to my Bangkok home in around two weeks.

 

It may be too early for any of us to feel we are not on a 2nd notice list "if", repeat, if the 2nd notice wasn't mailed in September, but instead mailed recently (like mid-late Oct) and we just haven't received the notice yet.  Plus, 16-18 Nov are APEC special holidays here in the Bangkok area which may slow down mail getting delivered all over the country...I sure know the last day I saw the mailman in my Bangkok moobaan was Tuesday/15 Nov as he is now enjoying the special holidays.   He might be back to work on Saturday/19 Nov....then again, maybe not until Mon/21 Nov.

 

 

 

The date on my 2nd notice reads:  "Second Request  Oct. 27, 2022"   I am in Chiang Mai.

4 hours ago, Pib said:

 

Make sure you are not sending the form to the local SSA office in Wilkes Barre...it needs to go to the 7162 Processing/Data Processing office in Wilkes Barre.  

 

See below weblink for some address/options to get the 7162 to Wilkes Barre to include delivery by private delivery service

 

 

https://pasoamjournal.blogspot.com/2020/07/options-for-submitting-your-7162-proof.html

 

Courier the Form SSA-7162
Private Delivery Service (FedEx (Air-21), UPS, LBC, etc.)
 

Social Security Administration
Data Operations Center
Attn: SSA-7162 Process
1150 E. Mountain Drive
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18767-7162
U.S.A.

 

Excellent info.  Thanks very much for the link!

4 hours ago, Pib said:

 

Make sure you are not sending the form to the local SSA office in Wilkes Barre...it needs to go to the 7162 Processing/Data Processing office in Wilkes Barre.  

 

See below weblink for some address/options to get the 7162 to Wilkes Barre to include delivery by private delivery service

 

 

https://pasoamjournal.blogspot.com/2020/07/options-for-submitting-your-7162-proof.html

 

Excellent link and great info!  Thank you very much!

 

 

8 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Manila has this formal form now to initiate contact. Form 7162 issues is an option on the drop down menu but there isn't a way to include a file there. I think it might be good to start with the form and then hope they reply and if they want a scan, they would presumably email and request it. 

 

 

FBU Inquiry Form - U.S. Embassy in the Philippines (usembassy.gov)

Thanks!  Will give it a try for sure!

9 hours ago, RhodeIslandRed said:

BTW Fed Ex will take a PO Box as long as you have a local phone number for the recipient....and I don't think Manila will be much help either

I did not know this about FedEx - I did not see anything on their website that indicated it.  And, I agree about Manila.  When the tracking for my first submission showed the mailing to have stopped at the international arrival place in the U.S., I emailed Manila.  Their reply was basically - 'sorry, can't do anything to help'.

9 hours ago, HuskerDo2 said:

Can you FedEx it to a friend in the US and just have them drop it in the US mail for you? It should get to the P.O. Box with no issues.

This is something that I am considering, actually.  By chance and luck, a friend from the U.S. will visit next week for a short vacation.  I had been thinking of asking him to carry it back with him and put it in the mail there.  I'm wondering if the actual post mark (then being the U.S. and not Thailand) would raise their eyebrows any.  Yes, I know - maybe a bit odd to worry about that, but with their quite confused operation, who knows!

Has anyone else had difficulty recently in successfully delivering the U.S.  Social Security Form 7162 to the SSA p.o. box in Wilkes-Barre, PA?  Some months ago, I (like most other U.S. retirees) received the form, signed it, and put it into Thai Post EMS.  With tracking I could note when it reached the U.S., but there it sat in "international arrivals" or some such designation, just collecting dust.  Thai Post did fine; but the pathetic USPS simply lost the envelope or just gave up.  

Now, of course, I've received the "second notice" from SSA, and now after the month(!) it took to arrive here, I now have 15 days to get this second one over to them in Wilkes-Barre.  Has this happened to anyone else and, if so, what deliverly method did you use?  I understand that the couriers (DHL, FedEx, etc.) will not / cannot deliver to post office boxes.  I have actually found the physical address of the SSA in Wilkes-Barre and am wondering and considering courier-ing it to the office rather than the po box.  Thanks for any help from anyone else who has run afowl of the bumbling USPS.

15 minutes ago, hansombeast said:

Location of where might help with suggestions

Uh....well, it's posted in the Chiang Mai forum, so I figure the OP is asking for Chiang Mai.

22 hours ago, CMBob said:

(1) Does one need to go through the outside inspection-of-documents line if one has an appointment?

 

 

I made an online appointment for my most recent extension.  When I arrived at Immigration, I did not go to "the tent" and therefore had no document inspection.  I went straight to the first "check-in" desk inside; documents were looked over and taken from me and fee paid; then told to wait at the far left side of the waiting area.  After only a short wait, process completed.

Two points:

1) I had visited the "tent" a week or so before appointent day, to confirm just what was wanted and the order in which they wanted the various papers.  This facilitated handing it in at the desk.

2) I was quite early for the appointment.  That did not seem to matter at all.  No notice was given to the exactness of the schedule.  My papers were taken and I was entered into the order as if that particular time was my appointment time.  So, I gather that having an appointment paper allows you to access and enter the line-up upon your arrival, regardless of the time.

2 hours ago, jonesthepost said:

I reffering to the central festival doors opening they donot open to 11.00 am 

Central's doors that are located immediately to the side of Immigration Office are open earlier for those going to Immigration.  You cannot access any other part of the mall at that time, but you can access Immigration.  The difficulty accessing the parking deck at that time though, is another matter.

2 hours ago, FolkGuitar said:

 

What makes you think so?  When I wanted to add ... They did NOT send us back to Kad Suan Kaew ....

2 hours ago, Captain Monday said:

I think I think that, from previous experience of being denied.

It has happened to me, also, .. twice in fact, when a couple of branches closer to my home replied, "No, you must do at KSK".   It is true; it does happen that way sometimes.  I can only conclude that it is the choice of the individual branches.

37 minutes ago, FolkGuitar said:

Do they just fire the ones who were there before?

It is my understanding that they all have been placed at various other branches.  In addition to Sombat at the Chang Puak branch, I think he said one or two others from KSK moved there.

1 hour ago, Captain Monday said:

Do account holders have to get new bank deposit books or anything?

No.  Nothing changes with respect to account numbers, books, or anything relating to your accounts.

"I did a quick scan of the staff and the only familiar face is the KSK manager (can't remember his name) standing there. "

His name -- Sombat.

12 hours ago, Pond Life said:

Pronto, what was the approx price for both eyes ?
Was it a day surgery & back home ?

Don't recall the cost right, off.  I'll need to look back through to see.  Yes, it wa a day surgery - that is to say, no overnight stay in the hospital.  After a bit of time in observation at the conclusion, I was released to go - but with the need for a driver, of course.  I chose to stay that night in a near-by hotel and continue on to home the next morning.  While there was no pain at all afterwards, it was (to me, at least) just a tad disorienting and I felt comfortable with an overnight hotel stay.

Yes, I have had cataract surgery (both eyes) from Dr. Ratchada.  I was pleased with the service.  Recommended.

Yes, on-site parking is readily available.  The new parking building (finished before covid) always has plenty of spaces and is secure.  I now park there only.