Galong

Has anyone from Phuket received it yet? I'm in Phuket Town... nothing yet.

So what's everyone going to do: wait and see if the form arrives by post (how long are you giving them) or are you mailing in a blank? Or, is there another option?

I've used EMS with tracking for the last 4 years and never had an issue. I don't see why they would disapprove of tracking. 🤷‍♂️

You didn't seem to miss anything. The FBU in Manila and the SSA in the US are being dreadfully unhelpful. It's as if they have no idea what they're doing. A simple 'official' statement would end all of our concern/anxiety. This is so disappointing. I flip-flop between filing a blank form (with a cut-and-pasted barcode from last year's form on the cover page) and simply waiting. What are your plans given what little we know at this moment?

Chat GPT (grain of salt) suggests filling out a blank form and adding a cover letter with a copy of last year's bar code added to the cover letter. The cover letter could say something like, “I did not receive this year’s SSA‑7162. I am including a copy of last year’s barcode to assist with identification.” I wish the self-proclaimed greatest country on earth could get off of their backsides and send a simple explanation and preferred course of action, but alas... 🤷‍♂️🤦

So, ten days ago, this was reported. I wonder how long it takes the letters to get from there to here on average.

With tariffs pushing up prices, economists estimate the cost to households could be $2,400+ per year. $600 check is basically pocket lint in comparison. 🤔

Your comment is a textbook example of collective blame, which is both logically and ethically flawed. Criminal acts committed by a small number of individuals do not define an entire population or industry. FYI, in case you haven't noticed, Thailand’s tourism sector employs millions of law‑abiding citizens, many of whom depend on it for basic survival. Studies on stereotyping and group attribution error consistently show that conflating isolated incidents with the behavior of an entire demographic fosters prejudice and undermines constructive solutions. Or, is this somehow your opinion on Thais in general? If yes, why are you here?

The other large group of Thais who will suffer are those involved in tourism. Right now is the time when a lot of potential visitors are planning their vacations. In this respect, if Cambodia wants to hurt Thailand, continuing the fight is just the ticket. Another thought: why on earth is the Thai baht so strong? The government is unstable and the economy is not strong nor growing. A strong baht also hurts tourism... and my US Social Security. 😒

Yikes!! I have always used EMS and never had any problems. It isn't cheap, but it has tracking. So what did you end up doing, sending it regular air mail? BTW, how would you know when/if the SSA got your letter? It seems like this confirmation could be online. The whole thing should be online. A lot of money is being wasted with this silly process. If we die, the embassy is notified by the Thai government.

Thanks, buddy. 🙏 Yeah, I guess I agree with the plan of giving it another week or two then filling out the blank one. Geez, it would be wonderful if they'd let us know what they want. I'm on a SSA Blog which talks about everything except this. I guess we aren't a top priority being such a small percentage of recipients. So, the waiting continues... sigh. 😒

I find the info you guys are supplying interesting, but I think I'll wait a bit more as I am concerned about potentially ending up sending two... one from a blank and then the personalized one when/if it arrives. Sending two could either annoy the workers or flag you. Will you guys post to the US address or send it to FBU in Manila? If you're posting, do you use Thai EMS, DHL, or something else? Thanks in advance for your response.

I thought someone posted here earlier on this thread saying the FBU in Manila doesn't handle 7162 forms. Do you have a history of having them deal with your 7162 form? If so, that's great. Please let us know your system. Thanks.

Darn, I might be mistaken. I can't find a fax number now. Others here have experience with doing this through Manila, even though Manila seems to not offer this service. I remain confused.

The form I see to download has section 1 (which I assume you leave blank) and I would assume you simply write in your telephone number in section 2. There is a big gap before section 3. There is ample room to put all info from a previous official version here, including the various number strings. I haven't done it but, but this is something I'll consider in a week or so if the real ones don't arrive. I was also thinking about the difference between faxing it or mailing it... any thoughts?