Heads Up: US Social Security Direct Deposit

[wasanajones]

Hi - just a friendly heads up regarding how Direct Deposit is handled by US Social Security

 

If you're getting SSA benefits deposited directly into your Thai Bank account...  it's not really a direct deposit.

 

Funds are routed by SSA through Citibank into your bank (in my case Bangkok Bank)

 

this means it is a nightmare trying to get the Thai Immigration funds certification letter stating the funds originated outside Thailand

 

This might not impact many people -- but ...  almost no one knows how to handle this ("not my problem") and once you actually reach someone at Citibank, the process is convoluted and frustratingly skewed

 

 

[ubonjoe]

That is a well known potential problem with IDD if using the transfers to prove your income.

That is the reason I kept my SSA payments going into my direct deposit account at Bangkok Bank via their New York branch. All my transfers are shown as foreign transfers.

[mtls2005]

Can't you just get the Credit Advice/Receipt each month from Bangkok Bank?

 

In my case, a SWIFT Xfer, the Sending Bank shows as JPMorgan Chase Bank, and the Ordering Institution should show as well.

 

Have not had any issues with Thai Immigration (ext stay/ret-inc@CW).

 

Maybe SSA transfers are handled differently?

 

 

[wasanajones]

On 4/1/2021 at 2:50 PM, mtls2005 said:

Can't you just get the Credit Advice/Receipt each month from Bangkok Bank?

 

In my case, a SWIFT Xfer, the Sending Bank shows as JPMorgan Chase Bank, and the Ordering Institution should show as well.

 

Have not had any issues with Thai Immigration (ext stay/ret-inc@CW).

 

Maybe SSA transfers are handled differently?

 

 

If you've got SSA sending to US Bank - then you have that sent to Thailand, no problem. My problem is/was the deposit made by SSA doesn't go to Bangkok Bank it goes to Citibank. Bangkok Bank refuses to certify the source of funds came from overseas, because to them it doesn't - it arrives via BAHTNET. Citibank is nearly a blackbox... they handle this request as if it's 1995. My branch of Bangkok Bank simply lied to my face after waiting a week to get the paperwork. 'This is what you need'. simply because they didn't know what they were doing and neither did I. 

 

[wasanajones]

On 4/1/2021 at 9:36 AM, ubonjoe said:

That is a well known potential problem with IDD if using the transfers to prove your income.

That is the reason I kept my SSA payments going into my direct deposit account at Bangkok Bank via their New York branch. All my transfers are shown as foreign transfers.

"well known" unless it isn't. The need for certifying that the funds come from overseas isn't even included in the handout checklist Thai immigration gave us. My problem.... versus not my problem. 

 

[ubonjoe]

21 minutes ago, wasanajones said:

"well known" unless it isn't. The need for certifying that the funds come from overseas isn't even included in the handout checklist Thai immigration gave us. My problem.... versus not my problem. 

 

It is written in the immigration order allowing for transfers from abroad to be used to meet the income requirement that issued in December of 2018.

The problem is that the IDD transfers are done in Thai baht and are received by the Bank of Thailand that results in the a domestic transfer code (BahtNet). The problem has been discussed before in several topics. Edit: There is one here. https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1080467-us-social-security-international-direct-deposit-idd-update/

I have used the transfers for 2 extensions applications already and they checked my bank statements and bank book to confirm they were transferred from abroad.

[rodknock]

i thought you could not use New York Bangkok Bank any more to make transfers to Bangkok Bank.

i am using wise to transfer money and have had no issues.

it goes straight into my account and is marked international transfer

[ubonjoe]

2 minutes ago, rodknock said:

i thought you could not use New York Bangkok Bank any more to make transfers to Bangkok Bank.

If coming from a bank in the states it is not possible now unless it is in the IAT format for the ACH transfers.

Social Security payments are not a problem. It is about the same from any US government agency.

I received my stimulus payments directly to my account from the IRS.