Chicksaw

3 minutes ago, steven100 said:

Just contact Siam legal .... they will assist you and get it done right  !!

Thank you.

Are they https://www.siam-legal.com/  ?

Any particular (English-speaking) person to ask for there? And could you say their annual fees for retirement extension/90 day reports?

8 hours ago, ThaiBunny said:

I use Thailand Long Stay and can thoroughly recommend them

Btw, could you say their annual fees for retirement extension/90 day reports?

5 hours ago, ThaiBunny said:

I use Thailand Long Stay and can thoroughly recommend them

Thank you. At

http://www.thailongstay.co.th/

Googling "visa agent Bangkok" kicks up a big list. I'll put down a few here in case a TV member sees one and reacts, yep good or nope stay away.

Bangkok Buddy (been around a long time? remember from Stickman?)

Thai Visa Expert

Speedy Visa (advertises no funds required, how does that work?)

Key Visa

Thai Visa Express

...

On 4/11/2019 at 12:42 AM, Cat ji said:

copy-paste from inbox, post about 4 years ago.  Forum thread was about getting suitable bank account/s set up but I chatted to the guy who posted it and got the contact number for the lawyer.
 

 

Thank you, Cat ji.

Just to clarify, is the number <contact by personal message> from your image in the earlier mail that of the recommended visa agent?

2 minutes ago, elliss said:

Agents , are  more cost effective .  Good luck .

Any names?

Hello:

I've been working in Bkk for a few years now planning to retire soon. Want to transition to a retirement visa/extension within the next few months. Yes, I have learned lurking here that DIY is possible and obviously cheap. But I would prefer to have the help of an agent at first.

My case should be fairly straightforward. I have no problems with any of the financial requirements so no dodgy maneuvers - just an agent to handle the paper/leg work.

I am looking for reliable person or small visa business with reasonable fees, not an entity like Sunbelt or Siam Legal, to shepherd me through. Thank you for recommendations in the Bkk area.

I am looking to switch to a new provider for health insurance. Questions:

1. I've heard of AA. What other options are there for brokers, based in Thailand and expat-friendly, who work with international outfits like April, David Shield, etc? Particularly one with office/rep in Bkk.

2. I've been recommended David Shield by someone not in Thailand. Anyone have experience with them here?

Thanks.

I am looking to switch to a new provider for health insurance. Questions:

1. I've heard of AA. What other options are there for brokers, based in Thailand and expat-friendly, who work with international outfits like April, David Shield, etc? And preferably with office/rep in Bkk.

2. I've been recommended David Shield by someone not in Thailand. Anyone have experience with them here?

Thanks.

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

First get a Myssa account online if you can. Of course you'll need a US address and credit history for that.

Yep, that's the problem. I thought at first to use my brother's address like I do for Fidelity. But then thought that this might screw things up in future with SSA assuming that I live at that address and never completed the mySSA process.

Interesting point here. SSA obviously has access to part of my tax records. How do I know? I never once in the application process sent them my credit union details but payments came right in there. The only mention of this ac. was in the initial interview when the Manila guy asked if I would like payments to my US ac. or Thailand. I said US to my credit union and he evidently knew about it, never was asked or sent the ac. number. The only place they could have got the ac. details would be my tax return.

Which also means they know my home address as recorded in my US tax return, obviously Thailand. So bottom line, do not try any monkey business with SSA, they crosscheck with other US gov agencies.

57 minutes ago, Pib said:

-1st Notice: The instructions for the initial Foreign Enforcement mailing in May/June of each year request that the form be returned in 60 days.

-2nd Notice: A second notice is usually mailed in September to those beneficiaries identified in the
Nonresponder File who did not return their FEQs in the initial 60 days.  Request a reply in 45 days.

- 3rd Notice: This letter is mailed about mid‐January and includes a warning explaining that if the FEQ form is not received right away, their benefits will stop with the February payment ﴾January benefits﴿. 

Great info, Pib. The lady last night obviously didn't know.  I haven't yet (I believe) missed anything from SSA. However, based on above, if I don't get an "you alive?" inquiry by July I will be calling both Manila and Baltimore leaving a message, Hi it's me I am not dead.

Thanks, Pib.

One other thing from being on the phone with Baltimore yesterday. They send out "are you alive" letters first in Jan., and then, if no response, again in June.

I am not sure if these letters will be from Manila or Baltimore. In any case, it might be good to make a note that if nothing's been received by Feb. then get in touch with FBU. No reason to panic as there's the second letter midyear. But why wait?

Not responding to both will obviously lead to discontinuation of benefits and a massive pain in reviving them.

No wonder all the pain and frustration. Extract from https://www.marketwatch.com/story/how-to-navigate-the-complexity-of-claiming-social-security-2018-09-19

Social Security staffers are short-handed

Sad to say, potential claimants can’t rely on the Social Security Administration for guidance. The agency is terribly short-staffed and maddeningly overwhelmed.

Since 2010, the Social Security Administration’s core operating budget has been cut by 9 percent, adjusting for inflation, according to Kathleen Romig, senior policy analyst of the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. Those budget cuts translate into a 12% reduction in staff, closed field offices and shortened office hours. Little surprise, then, that callers to Social Security often don’t get answers to their questions. (Note to Congress: The ranks of people eligible to file for Social Security is rising. Cutting into Social Security’s budget makes no sense.)

On 9/11/2018 at 8:15 PM, Jingthing said:

Hi there. 

Add me to the one of many that is having problems getting responses from FBU Manila. 

 

When you email them with a second send because of no response do you include the original email in a thread or start a new one? 

 

I ask because when I first send an email I got an automated acknowledgement of it. 

 

Then later I got a canned email saying they needed more standard ID info in the email to deal with any email. 

 

 

So I sent that info right away and included the original rejected email. 

 

After sending that I got no automated acknowledgement of receipt. 

 

 

Now I wonder if this has fallen into a black hole. 

 

So thats why I'm asking if you start a new email thread on resends. 

 

Also when should you expect an automated acknowledgement of email receipt. 

 

Another question. I think someone else said there  is a US number that rings to Manila. It's not publicized if there is.

 

Asking because I can call a US number for free but not a Philippine number. 

 

Thanks for any info. 

 

 

I gave up on getting an email response from Manila long ago. Best call

+63 2 301 2000 Ext. 9  a little after 8am Manila time. I've been mostly lucky in getting someone to pick up at that time. Later in the day you'll be dropped into the answering system almost certainly. And if you're really lucky it will be Rozelle answering - she is very helpful.

However, you might be better off calling the US International FBU +1 410 965 2356 directly, particularly if your stuff has already been forwarded to Baltimore for final approval. This number is in Baltimore and certainly doesn't get routed to the Philippines. Again, doggedness pays. E.g., I tried about 20 times yesterday from 8am - 3pm US EST, no luck, only the answering system. Today got through to a person around 10:30 US EST, again after several tries.

In my case, they are waiting for a Thai doc I sent to be translated. According to the lady today, they aren't hiring, they are short-staffed, so be prepared for a long wait.

Great link, Pib.

Yep, 45hrs/mth. is the limit if you are working here. I remember now the Manila guy asking if I was going to be working here. Yes. How many hrs? More than 45 or less?

Less. Send me proof. Which I did.

30 minutes ago, Rhys said:

Question:  At 62 can you still work in Thailand and receive SS Benefits?  (He mentioned (claims officer) that there would be a suspension of benefits because I did not reach for retirement age.

Yes, you can still receive benefits while working here, but they want to know how many hours. At least that's what the guy in Manila asked me in the phone interview. Then, in fact, I had to send him a letter from my employer saying that I was working part-time 12hrs/month (I forget the limit beyond which I believe there's a penalty).

"Suspension of benefits"? Before full retirement age you get a little less than what you would get at full. My calculations indicate the difference is small enough that I stay ahead for several years. Not to mention I need the money now.

2 minutes ago, Pib said:

I called above Baltimore number just now at 8:30pm Thailand time just to do a test which would have been 9:30am in Baltimore time and person answered after one ring.

Terrific! I called a little after 8am, you called 9:30am, and both cases a person answered quickly. So that particular number is good which is a relief.

Calling the US at night here rather than Manila early morning is better for me as I am a late sleeper late riser. Infowise there isn't probably much difference as I guess both access the same system.

10 hours ago, Pib said:

The Social Security Office at the U.S. Embassy-Manila only advertises their Philippines phone number on their webpage, but they also have a U.S. number.  You are still calling the Manila Embassy it's just to their U.S. number. 

The Manila FBU number I called was: +63 2 301 2000 Ext. 9.

The US number taken from https://www.ssa.gov/foreign/phones.html

(see Applied for Benefits near the bottom of the page): +1 410 965 2356.

The US number almost certainly was not redirecting to the Philippines because it would have been 8pm. there.

An update re my case from calling Baltimore SS last week: the doc from the Thai SS (in Thai) stating the amount I am getting from them has been sent to a translation service in the US. But, apparently this service is not within the jurisdiction of SSA - contractors I assume - and the SS guy I spoke couldn't promise an exact turnaround time. Pain in the backside.

But what might be useful for other folks to know is that good times to call Manila and SS Baltimore seem to  be just after 8am both places (their respective times). I got Rozelle in Manila just after 8am Manila. She was very helpful. Then that same day (night here) I called Baltimore just after 8am EST. My call was answered almost immediate by a guy, who was extremely pleasant, but couldn't really help because of the translation service black hole.

So I will be following up in a month. Best of luck to all of you out there applying. Hope your cases go a lot more smoothly than mine.

I was the OP on this thread. Sorry for the long absence. Here's a bit of an update.

Following Pib's suggestion way back in the thread I doggedly kept calling Manila till finally I got through mid-May to a very pleasant lady who told me that my docs had been sent to Baltimore (tallying with what Pib said happens) and that I should be hearing directly from them by the end of July. If I don't I am supposed to contact Manila for a status update.

A particular cause for delay in my case is that I am getting Thai Social Security of 3000b/month based on my job here. When this came up at the original SS interview in Dec. the guy from Manila wanted to know everything about it - how much, from when, etc. I sent him a doc in Thai from the Thai SS Admin which I had annotated myself in English. What the lady in May. told me is that that's not enough for Baltimore. They are going to requisition an official translation.

Which means a significant delay as the doc goes to some translation service. Plus a bit of research indicates US SS doesn't like anyone getting double benefits and can deduct up to 50% of what the beneficiary is getting elsewhere, which means they might take $50 of my due amount.

Which to my mind is totally unreasonable because SS benefits from the US accrue from my work there, and from Thailand from my work here. Why the former should be penalized for the latter beats me.

4 hours ago, taxout said:

To repeat what I've said here before, think of a place where it's still 1952 and you'll have a good idea how the SSA bureacracy works.

Pretty scary for a place millions depend on for a monthly check.

5 minutes ago, Pib said:

OP,

  You do need to call Manila again and this time ask specifically "where is your application in the approval process?"  It's quite possible the Manila SSO completed their processing and electronically submitted it forwarded to the Baltimore International Operation Office which is responsible for final review/approval of all SS applications submitted from outside the U.S./applicants with foreign addresses.   Manila is not the final approval authority; Baltimore International Operations is.

 

  The Baltimore Office has 60 days from the day they receive  your application from Manila to even open it up and look at it.   You can not email this  Baltimore office....you either need to write them or phone  them.  See below weblink for contact info to include which phone number to call depending on your social security number.  When calling chances are high you will have to leave a voice mail so be prepared to clearly state you name, social security number, return phone number and why you are calling.  Unless something has changed their voice recording will probably say they will return your call within two business days....but you "might get lucky" with a human answering the phone.

https://www.ssa.gov/foreign/

 

   Or you can call the main Social Security 1-800 number who can look up the status of your application.    Don't be surprised if they say it's at the Baltimore office assuming Manila sent it forward.   The customer support reps at this central 1800 can even send the Baltimore Office an internal message that you called in attempting to find out status...this assumes their system shows your application is at the Baltimore International Office.

https://www.ssa.gov/forms/apply-for-benefits.html

 

   Please note the Manila Social Security Office is "not" part of the State Dept...it's just the Social Security Agency has an agreement with the State Dept to operate within the Manila U.S. Embassy.....the embassy is basically providing them office space to operate out of.

 

   In closing I would recommend you call Manila again with more specific questions as the the status and location of your application.   From my own application a couple years ago and helping another American about a year ago I have found Manila ability to quickly respond via email or phones ranges from "fast sometimes" to "extremely slow "sometimes."   Keep in mind they are responsible for applicants from approx 50 countries.   Unless you have easily /cheap access to calling U.S. phone numbers like maybe having a U.S.VOIP number,  I highly recommend you call Manila again with your specific status questions before calling one of the other phone numbers given in above links.   Good luck.

 

 

Thanks, Pib. Truly appreciate your detailed response which really clears up the situation. And I am going to follow your advise re dealing with the matter.

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

Sorry to hear about the problem.

It is a known fact that the State Department is badly understaffed at this point in history and there have been real life negative consequences to that. 

I will soon have a personal interest in this situation as well so curious to learn how this proceeds for you.

 

Can I ask whether you're seeking to have the checks paid to a U.S. or Thai bank? 

US bank, from when I worked there. I'll make sure to post the outcome of the whole process (fingers crossed).

I turned 62 in Feb. so I applied (3months prior) for early SS benefits in Dec. I was interviewed by phone in Dec. by a guy from the FBU at the Manila Embassy. Routine questions were answered. He wanted some docs about what work I would be doing post-retirement in Bkk and if I would be receiving any retirement benefits from the Thai Govt. I sent them right away. And then nothing.

I have called (straight to an answering machine which never seems to be checked) and sent email (unanswered) multiple times and it's already May when I should have got my first SS check March or April. I did get through once on the phone about a couple of weeks ago to a lady there who looked up my case on their system and told me "it's being processed, and I could call again to find out the status (which is not particularly helpful)."

Anybody had a similar experience with the Manila? Is it just the current general demoralization of the State Dept? Any suggestions? Thanks.