SSDI confusion via Bangkok Bank

[SailingHome]

Hi, all,

 

USA SS started this month to deposit my monthly amount into Bangkok Bank. This was not intentional, but rather a confused worker at the field office. My money would have shown up in my USA account on Friday. Bangkok Bank says they can not verify anything international on weekends or explain the new rules about depositing USA SS to Bangkok Bank.

 

Mt concern is a wonderment what will happen now. SSDI deposited to the BKB routing number in New York and my savings count number. What should I expect to happen? I did not set up a special account with BKB for SSDI deposits and I am reading in the forum that a special account is needed and each month I must go to the bank branch to access the funds.

 

Any idea what to expect? Should I wait a few days and see if it credits to BKB?

[Pib]

First, in order for that confused worker at the field office to have gotten your direct deposit bank info, you would have needed to provide it to them. 

 

From your post I'm confused if you did or did not get your latest deposit on 1 March.   But you can ask your branch, look at your ibanking, or update your passbook to see if the deposit posted. 

 

I have a family member receiving social security pension and the member's deposit posted 1 March/Friday at 5pm to her Bangkok Bank direct deposit account.  Normally, social security deposits post from around 9am to 2:30pm but the latest did not post until until 5pm....the latest ever.   I was at my Bangkok Bank branch Friday afternoon at 3pm on another banking issue and asked the bank rep had my family member's SS payment deposited yet.  The rep said just update the passbook to find out....I said I already had and showed the rep the passbook....the rep then looked in the system and said yes it has arrived but just hasn't posted yet because "she thought" the bank had just changed the time of day that certain US govt payments would be posted, but she wasn't really sure about the time of day thing.  But anyway, it posted  at 5pm....just later in the day than all previous payments.  And it shows on the member's ibanking now and passbook has been updated to show the deposit.

 

But here's what should have happened/will happen in your case:  since you did not setup the Special Direct Deposit Account with Bangkok Bank what will happen on the first or second transfer is Bangkok Bank will "not" deposit the funds to your regular savings account as they will spot it's a reoccurring US govt payment which must go to a special direct deposit account.  You will get a call or letter saying the deposit/transfer has been put on-hold for X-time (I think it's two weeks) and you must come in and open a direct deposit account; otherwise the funds will be sent back to SSA after X-time (as mentioned, two weeks I think).   

 

I know because years back I thought I would just have my military retirement pension go to my "regular" Bangkok Bank account....but Bangkok Bank caught me on the 1st or 2nd transfer/deposit....I got that letter in the mail....had to go in an open the special direct deposit account.....immediately after they deposited the funds to my new account....and that night I called DFAS which pays the military pension with my new account number....next payments went to my new account no problem.  

 

Once you go in and open the special direct deposit account they will take the fund transfer off hold and deposit it to your new account.  And then you and/or Bangkok Bank must provide the new account info to the SSA so your future direct deposits go to your special direct deposit account.

 

Also, you can also sign up for Bangkok Bank's "free" SMS International Remittance...see weblink below.  You get the SMS approx 2 minutes after the funds are posted to your account....the SMS says who the international remittance is from, how much foreign currency was received, exchange rate given, local receiving fee, and amount posting to your account on date/time XYZ.

https://www.bangkokbank.com/en/Personal/Digital-Banking/SMS-Services/SMS-Remittance-Alert

 

 

P.S.  And yes, with a special Direct Deposit account you must physically go to a branch to withdraw/transfer out funds....a debit card is not authorized...the account will appear on your ibanking and you can transfer funds into it via ibanking but you can not transfer funds out via ibanking.  You must present your living, breathing body with passport at any Bangkok  Bank branch to withdraw/transfer out funds.

 

 

Edited March 3, 2019 by Pib

[SailingHome]

Yes, I did give them then BKB info. My USA accounts and credit had been hacked a lot of fraud committed.My US bank was not certain they could open a new account in time. The USA bank advised that they can not change the direct deposit information, and suggested that I contact SS to change the account. I emailed fbu.manilla with these details and asked that they change to BKB if, and only if, the deposit was not already changed to my new USA account.

 

As it turns out, not only did the USA bank create a new account for me, but they updated SS with the new deposit information. Manilla's email back was that the change would take place within 3 months. I wrote back asking them not to change anything and never got a response other than the "We will respond within 3 days...". For the previous 2 months, the SS deposit was going directly to the new USA account. Last Friday I did not receive it any account.

 

I've checked on line BKB via Web and App - does not show up. Customer support can do nothing on weekends. My understanding is as you said: it posts in BKB on the same day, not several days later. So it does not show in BKB or USA accounts at this time. I'm not late on any paperwork or for any other reason had my SSDI stopped, so I can reasonably suspect it was paid, but I can't fine out where. I guarantee that calling SS on Monday will not get me any answers - minimum 3-day wait for all requests.

 

Thanks for the excellent and detailed information. Very valuable.

[Pib]

Just call one of the numbers below at HQ Bangkok Bank during days/times listed.  Reps at these numbers speak good English.  Give them your name, Bangkok Bank account number, approx amount of the payment and payment date (1 March) and ask if their system shows it arriving...if arriving, why didn't it post yet...is there a problem?  If it arrived (or got rejected) they will be able to tell you why and what your need to do next.

 

 

[Pib]

24 minutes ago, SailingHome said:

 

I've checked on line BKB via Web and App - does not show up. Customer support can do nothing on weekends. My understanding is as you said: it posts in BKB on the same day, not several days later. So it does not show in BKB or USA accounts at this time. I'm not late on any paperwork or for any other reason had my SSDI stopped, so I can reasonably suspect it was paid, but I can't fine out where. I guarantee that calling SS on Monday will not get me any answers - minimum 3-day wait for all requests.

 

If you have a mySSA online account you can check there to see if it was paid and what Direct Deposit bank account info is on file for the payments.

[SailingHome]

Yup, Thanks for the tip on the MySSA account. In the past that system was impossible to access without nearly a DNA test, urine sample, and 3 months to receive a password ????  Now it works excellent.

 

Sure enough, it was paid to Bangkok Bank, so I will use the phone numbers above to get my money.

 

Account Information	For Benefit...
Bank or Financial Institution: BANGKOK BANK PUBLIC CO., LTD.  Account Type: Savings	Social Security (Disability)

[SailingHome]

Well, those phone numbers were mostly useless as the only thing they could do was verify what SS told me. They could not credit my account and I was told to call 1333.

 

1333 has many options but few that lead to a human. After an hour, I finally talked to person who verified 9 different security questions THEN told me what I already know - there is no credit to my account, She could do nothing and could not see the deposit on 1 March!

 

Finally, I got a manager on the line who immediately transferred me to overseas deposits where I got the same person who helped me at the above phone numbers. Now that 1333 call center had verified my ID and opened a request with international, the operator told me that yes, they have the deposit, I am number 5322 in the queue and if my money does not appear by 3pm, call again tomorrow. Magnificent efficiency ????

 

As a side note, I am here on a marriage visa. The old rules stipulated 400k Baht in a Thailand bank or an affidavit from my embassy. The new rule is "you must have a 400k Baht savings account." People on retirement visas can show their monthly deposits and are not required to have money parked in permanent idleness. Any word yet if the marriage visa will be updated? If not, let's be real, I am on SSDI and couldn't save 400k Baht unless I lived in a cardboard box and begged for food, and I have another year before I qualify for a retirement visa.

 

Hmmmm... Always a challenge to navigate or plan on consistency here, but I sure as Hades do not ever want to live in USA again.

 

Thanks for all the excellent tips!

[Pib]

1 hour ago, SailingHome said:

Finally, I got a manager on the line who immediately transferred me to overseas deposits where I got the same person who helped me at the above phone numbers. Now that 1333 call center had verified my ID and opened a request with international, the operator told me that yes, they have the deposit, I am number 5322 in the queue and if my money does not appear by 3pm, call again tomorrow. Magnificent efficiency ????

 

I wonder if yours is held-up because you did not open a special direct deposit account to have the US govt benefit paid into.  My understanding from your initial posts was you just gave SSA your regular savings account number.