cusanus

You mean the 7162? Maybe because they aren't yet accepted w/o barcode? Did you finally receive your 7162? Not sure, but most likely the three (one for me and two others) I sent in July were put in the round file.

"However, the plan to send to my brother seems potentially flawed because it will show that the form was mailed within the US and not from Thailand. I don't know if a 'cover letter' would satisfy Wilkes-Barre... who knows?" Since Thai postal postmarks aren't possible since mail to the US is banned, you could make a comment to that effect in the comment box 2nd page. Also, the physical address is recommended by SSA so don't worry about using it for courier service.

Speaking of stress Every day my mailbox in Missoula was packed with junk so tight I could barely pull it out. I missed paying some bills due to the labor just sorting it. Here my Thai wife and I get about 1-3 letters a month, mostly recurring bills for AIS and such. My neighbors in the states may have looked okay but one could be seen hiding stolen property and next door the kid played music so loud you couldn't hear yourself think and the other's dog raised Hell all night every night. My renters left me the remains of a dog they skinned, cooked and ate in the garage. Despite 8 years university math and science, 3.84 gpa, and a certified systems engineer I couldn't get a decent job to pay the bills and had to put up with relentless sexual harassment in the public school. A major employer of young people in town was coercing them into smoking crack. I had to constantly worry about my children being assaulted or killed as I nearly was in grade school. The US medical system is far more likely to kill you than any disease. What little I'd saved was enough to be rid of all that trouble and last the rest of my life in Thailand. In fact, I have double in the bank now than when I came. Everyone here is respectful and polite, have had a super fine wife 17 of 20 years, great grandkids, etc. I know it doesn't work out that well for everyone, but to me being in the states would be a death sentence. It would have been nice to retire in Montana and do some fine trout fishing, but I'd never have survived this long.

Yeah, I know. And us old people have trouble keeping the details straight. That's why I fill the form in with blank ink (or use the computer fonts for that) and use dark blue ink for the signature and date. Honestly, it's read by a machine so pretty sure the X marks just need to be readable. A good copy can look like an original and an original can look like a copy, sure. Do they use chemical testing to find you out? Thanks!

?? 7162 forms are mailed from Wilkes-Barre only. If you don't fill it in your SS benefit is suspended February next year. Usually registered mail isn't tracked past point of entry, but I think EMS is.

A copy might work, but the SSA website stresses that only original signatures are accepted. Maybe next time make a copy of the form before you fill it in and sign/date both.

My friend calls them and gets through, but I only email simce I have a Magicjack and use it to call ssa in the states. Also ask them if a 2nd mailing is coming.

The second mailing? Is there a second one with this being so late? Weird, got mine in CM the 8th I think, friend the 7th, three days after someone in Bangkok got it. Try emailing Manila. I don't think it's any trouble for them. That's their job. But I would wait a few more days because it is taking a long time for some to get one. Is anyone else still waiting?

Letters and items <$100 are still being shipped to US by India and some other countries. AI Assist repeats that song for Thailand, but you can't trust AI. The reality seems to be that Thailand and some other countries won't let you even mail a letter. Hopefully, this is not the case or will soon change. Has anyone tried to mail a letter yet? https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/news/thailand-post-temporarily-bans-all-mail-to-united-states-515367

(866) 686-9505 ----> https://duckduckgo.com/?q=wilkes-barre+ssa+phone&atb=v259-1&t=chromentp&ia=web

Maybe when they release the Epstein files?

I believe if you've resided in another country continually for more than six months of the year you must file the form with new address or benefits will be suspended next Feb. Of course, some don't report the foreign address and nobody knows, but you're supposed to report the new address or other changes relative to the X boxes on the form that might affect your benefit.

Oh, it's on a couple of web pages I don't recall right now, but when the suspended tariff is removed that was the estimate of the cost to send a letter. That's why in effect the postal service to US must be suspended. Also, I read that some couriers are also bowing out, DHL anyway. This is just stuff I read, I have no proof, but makes sense to me. Don't ask what "certain" items refers to . This is taken by some to include letters.

Thai Post is not accepting any letters or packages, presumably for fear that each item -- including ordinary mail -- will be charged the Trump Tax, payable by the US recipient. In Thailand's case, that is $160 per letter. Think about mail-in voting. Now add Australia, NZ, Korea, Germany, Czech. Looks like all mail to the USA will cease. Some couriers are also suspending service.

Why do you think I left 20 years ago. Making 1/5 average salary for my credentials? Having to put up with child porn being planted on staff computers for five years? Having to listen to penis and vagina giggles for five years? Because the savings in COL in Thailand is twice my former salary? Well, I was angry then and on the verge of going postal, but not angry since. Maybe a little bored at times, but Trump gets credit for getting me excited. But if he trashes my social security I'll be angry, boy oh howdy.

Don't forget the $50 million reward for info leading to arrest of Maduro. He is, quite rightly totally insane. Anyway, this means we cannot use the return envelope for the 7160 form next year (or this year if it hasn't been mailed yet)? So, poof, no more ssa retirement for you and me because we must mail the proof of life form but mail service is now over? Is that what's coming?

Am I interpreting this correctly? ALL mail service to the US is suspended? What?

It's both. There are 3 QR codes and a vertical string of odd characters on the right where there used to be a barcode on page 1. On page 2 there's the usual barcode as before and likely the exact same, but I'd be reluctant to reuse it given the changes on page 1.

No, not for her probably. I can't recall the circumstances, another friend or what, but I would edit last year's form to replace the date at the top and fill that in and send it because the barcode is the same. But this year that wouldn't work with different format and now a qcode. I am sure it would work next year if for some reason the form didn't arrive and the format is the same. The barcode facilitates timely processing as opposed to filling in a blank one and has always been the same year to year until 2025. Covid disrupted business as usual, too.

Had a disabled friend in Hang Dong for four years. Nothing from the government would get through, including a 7162 or SS 1099 or announcement of payment amount. It might have been a minor problem with the address format, but when we called SSA and asked to make a minor change (such as Amphur Hang Dong, Subdistrict or Tambon Hang Dong), the guy refused. They just couldn't grasp the Thai terms or that a city and subdistrict could have the same name, who knows, but they aren't all very bright. Or it could have been the Hang Dong post office, no one knows. This address finagling took 3-4 hours. We finally thought we had a way that might work and asked for a test letter to see if it came and it did, but that was the end of it, not a thing came through from the US government after that. Nothing. The 1st year her payments were suspended even though she hadn't been here six months. They were embarrassed when we called about that but it wasn't hard to fix. Since she couldn't get the form for the next three years, I would use the blank method which worked ok. Since she moved to another village four years ago there have been no more problems. Everything has arrived fine since and never a problem sending back ordinary airmail.

Just take the usual advice and airmail the barcode if and when it comes.

I've seen several statements to the effect that blank forms (w/o barcode) are not accepted until the last form was still not received (by January?). If yours was accepted, that's good, but there's reason to doubt it will work. Normally, you could use last year's barcode as a template, but this year the layout of the form is different. So if it comes finally make sure to send it in just in case (after making a scan/copy) In regards to completing a blank form rather than the preprinted form with the barcode that is sent from the SSA, it is not possible at this time since they require that the form they mailed out be returned to them. The SSA will let us know when we can start completing the blank forms, which is normally after they have processed the forms returned to them and prepares a report of beneficiaries that did not comply with this requirement. At this point the beneficiary will be listed for suspension of their benefits which occurs in February/March of each year.

Maybe because the only changes you're required to report are the address and 3-4 boxes with checkmarks, not the phone. They have never called me in 15 years or the others I help out. I could put anything in the phone field and it wouldn't matter. I wager you could forget to write it in (I may have a time or two) and it wouldn't make any difference. Anyway, just having fun here, nothing to get lathered up over.