Applying for U.S. Social Security Town Hall Meetings in Chiang Mai & Bangkok 17 & 19 Jul 18

[Pib]

Social Security representatives from the U.S. Embassy-Manila Federal Benefit Units will hold town hall meetings in Chiang Mai and Bangkok, 17 and 19 July, respectively.   See below American Citizen Services U.S. Embassy-Bangkok webpages and below snapshots from those webpages for more info.

 

Chiang Mai Town Hall Meeting

https://th.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/90/Federal-Benefits-Townhall-Chiang-Mai.pdf

 

Bangkok Town Hall Meeting

https://th.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/90/Federal-Benefits-Townhall-Bangkok.pdf

 

Chiang Mai Town Hall Flyer Snapshot

 

Bangkok Town Hall Meeting Flyer Snapshot

 

 

Also, keep in mind effective 1 Oct 17 the U.S. Embassy-Bangkok American Citizen Services no longer answer inquires regarding social security benefits; you must direct your questions to the Social Security Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) in the U.S. Embassy-Manila.  The Manila FBU services folks in this part of the world; not only the Philippines. 

 

However, if you need any documents certified/notarized  required for application of federal benefits like how it's common for Social Security needing to see the original "or certified" U.S. citizen's Passport and/or Naturalization Certificate you can get that done "fee-free" (no $50 per doc) at the Bangkok Embassy....probably the Chiang Mai Consulate also....but you need a doc from the federal agency which states certain certified/original docs are required for the application.   Tagged along with a naturalized U.S. citizen friend just this week in getting his fee-free certified docs for a social security application....also did it with another friend approx one year ago.

 

https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/

 

 

 

Edited July 15, 2018 by Pib

[sfokevin]

Can someone post the Google Map location of the Chiang Mai Uniserv Confrerence Hall to confirm location ;-)...

[Pib]

Regarding "fee-free" certification of docs required to apply for federal/state/municipal benefits.  Below from the U.S. State Dept Schedule of Fees for Consulate Services, Nov 15.

 

https://photos.state.gov/libraries/sudan/231771/PDFs/schedule-of-fees-for-consular-services-eff-20151109.pdf

 

 

 

[ubonjoe]

1 hour ago, sfokevin said:

Can someone post the Google Map location of the Chiang Mai Uniserv Confrerence Hall to confirm location ;-)...

I think this is it. https://goo.gl/maps/AZoq3tGfGKs

Located at CM University campus.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I just got the ACS email late last night (Tuesday) re tomorrow afternoon's (Thursday's) session in BKK.  Didn't see the email in my junk mail folder until tonight just now.  A bit late for going tomorrow afternoon.

 

Maybe they publicized it elsewhere earlier, but I'm on their email contact list, and heard nothing until last night, and then found this thread courtesy of Pib!

 

[mtls2005]

I might have gone had I noticed this earlier in the week, I would have asked if there is any chance we (those of us with an SSA-registered address in Thailand) can be afforded access to the myssa website.

 

 

[Pib]

59 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

I might have gone had I noticed this earlier in the week, I would have asked if there is any chance we (those of us with an SSA-registered address in Thailand) can be afforded access to the myssa website.

Have you tried to open an online account using the last U.S. address shown on your "credit agency reports" or IRS tax records?   

 

Unless something has changed from a few years ago during the online signup process when you enter your current address the SSA bucks that against credit agency/IRS records to see if reflects as your latest address per those records.  It's all part of really trying to confirm who you say you are.  It's like a public records check. 

 

And believe it or not your latest address may not be reflected on credit report agency records....instead your previous address may be what is reflecting and what the SSA retrieves during the online signup process.   If the address does not match up with their public records check the online sign-up will fail...you get two attempts at entering an address the SSA accepts per credit report public records check.  Don't try a tried time because if the third try fails then you get locked out for 24 hours and/or permanently.

 

By permanently I don't mean forever and day....I mean you would then need to call SSA, explain you are locked out probably due to an address mismatch, and they will unlock it for another two tries once they go through some identity checks with you over the phone.  Then you could give it two more tries before the lockout would happen again if unsuccessful in signing up in passing the address public records check.

 

A couple years back with the wife was signing up for an online account using our APO address here in Thailand which we had been using for around 8 years already for all our financial accounts, IRS federal returns, etc., when entering the APO address the signup process would not accept it (although it did for my signup).  She ended up getting locked out permanently after too many tries.  Called the SSA...explained the problem...they unlocked it...they stayed on the phone as she tried some more....locked out again...the SSA rep immediately unlocked it....the rep said try an earlier U.S. address...tries an address from 8 years ago and success...online registration successful.

 

A few weeks later she applied/received a credit report just to see what was on it....she hadn't  requested one for many years...I mean one of the "full" credit reports versus one the abbreviated ones which does not show everything.   Anyway, in the Addresses Area of the report although the APO address was shown it was not shown as the "latest" address....the latest address was our Hawaii address from 8 years ago...that Hawaii address is the one that successfully allowed her pass the public records check  during the SSA online account signup.

 

Once (if) successful in registering with a U.S. address that they verified in public records, that address is not even used in your SS Online Profile.  If already drawing SS the address you have on record with the SSA will appear.   However, I not sure what will happen at this point if you have an international address on file with the SSA.

 

It's a strange system, but the online account registration process uses public/IRS records to verify you.  If you are not already locked out from previous attempts in trying to signup for an online account, it will not hurt to give signup a try using your last U.S. address.   Even if you do get locked out from too many attempts with past addresses attempts you haven't lost anything in that you still don't have an online account.