I just received a second social security form7162. They said they hadn't received the first form which I had sent registered mail. This is the second time this has happened to me. I have found that the Thai postal system is reliable. I am not sure how to send this second form. Maybe just standard air mail. They said if they don't received the form within 45 days, they might stop my benefir payouts.

make a copy and send each separately?

Pay some extra and send via Fedex or DHL, all the docs I have sent via them have always arrived. 

Instead of paying silly FedEx, UPS, DHL prices, I'd just make 5 copies of the form, and send them regular post.  At least would have to make it through.

 

Pay for them all at the same time, but only mail 1 while at post office, then drop the other 4 off, on different days.  Just in case the one box/bag carrying all at 1 point, gets lost.  Sh!t happens.

 

22 yrs on, and all mine have made it, simply regular, cheap post.

5 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Instead of paying silly FedEx, UPS, DHL prices, I'd just make 5 copies of the form, and send them regular post.  At least would have to make it through.

 

22 yrs on, and all mine have made it, simply regular, cheap post.

I agree with the silly money but what if none arrive? He will loose his benefits and thus loose much more IMHO.

5 minutes ago, MJCM said:

And what if none arrive? He will loose his benefits and thus loose much more IMHO.

FedEx, UPS, DHL is no guarantee either, as they lose stuff also.  Especially at Xmas time when using part time temporary help.  One of those krap jobs I had ????

 

If OP knows someone in states, could send to them, and they could forward registered USPS, then would have a receipt.

Just now, KhunLA said:

FedEx, UPS, DHL is no guarantee either, as they lose stuff also.  Especially at Xmas time when using part time temporary help.  One of those <deleted> jobs I had ????

I sent several very important docs back to my lawyers and banks and all have arrived with Fedex.  Only stuff send via regular mail did not arrive, still waiting for a bank authenticator, looks like a calculator but it isn’t

The few times I've sent time sensitive and important docs to US I've used Fed Ex. Think it cost around 1500 thb for fastest service which still took 4-5 days. But at least I could track it.

Hubby received a second notice also and he sent his first letter back, also.

 

DHL, FedEx, UPS isn't an option since the receiving address is a PO box.  Have to use Thai post.

 

First letter he sent from a Thai Post substation in a mall that I've always claimed isn't a "real post office".  He has a difference of opinion.  This time he's going to a "real" post office and will mail with a higher level of traceability.  

3 hours ago, khaepmu said:

just received a second social security form7162. They said they hadn't received the first form which I had sent registered mail. This is the second time this has happened to me. I have found that the Thai postal system is reliable. I am not sure how to send this second form. Maybe just standard air mail. They said if they don't received the form within 45 days, they might stop my benefir payouts.

Aloha Mate... Just received my second notice, never received the first... Mailing it out EMS SAT..

 

Moved to the US & Canada Topics and Events forum. Where there is already a ongoing topic about the 7162 forms.

Received a 2nd notice 2 days ago. Never received the 1st notice. Mailed 2nd notice 1st class international mail for a butt-kicking 325 baht. Has happened before ~ 5 years ago.

Why not make a copy and send to the Philippines Social Security office at the US Embassy. They are usually pretty good with communications.

Had this problem several years ago and it was solved by sending the form via  Express Mail.

Same has happened to me for two years. Never any other problems with Thailand Post. Maybe SSA loses their own mail! In any case, it would be really hard to live without that $17/month!

Hey @khaepmuThank you for requesting some ideas here on what to do. I received my "second request" today. It seems the SSA has a real problem in managing their mail.  I just received the same letter and form.  This is the second time in the past 3 years that I've mailed them a document in their enclosed addressed envelope for which they claimed not to have received.  The first time in 2020, it cost me over $2500 and they'll take no credit for their or the postal services inefficiency/inadequacy (in 2020 it did not have to do with notification questionary. it was to do with Medicare, still 'they are never wrong'.  

 

@KhunLAThank you for such a 'brilliant' idea.  That's what I'm going to do.  EMS and Registered mail have become ridiculously expensive and because it's to a PO box, no one is going to sign for it anyway.  My Thai PO is only a few kilometers from the house, so that's exactly what I'm doing. 

5 hours ago, Mansell said:

Why not make a copy and send to the Philippines Social Security office at the US Embassy. They are usually pretty good with communications.

I might do this, too. They were the office that resolved my problem in 2020, but it still cost me chunk of money (deductions from my SSA payment).

Not only is registered mail ridiculously expensive but it's subject to special handling which slows down transit enormously. I had a registered envelope take two months to reach a bank in the US. Never again.

In mid 2019 (before the pandemic) I did some 3 test mailings from Bangkok to Texas and California mail forwarding addresses via "registered" airmail and "regular" airmail.    Each test mailing was done from the same post office here in Bangkok and both the register and regular mail were sent at the same time with the same postal clerk.   When these mailings arrive I would get an immediate email notification of arrival and a snapshot of the arrived mail envelope.   The three regular airmails arrived in 11 to 14 days; the three registered airmails arrived in 21 to 32 days...or said another way the registered airmail took 2 to 3 times as long to arrive due to how the USPS handles registered mail.

 

In 2021 I did a registered airmail test to the California address....it took 40 days to arrive.   in 2022 I did two regular airmail tests to Texas and California...they took 18 and 10 days, respectively to arrive.

 

Summary:  registered airmail to the U.S. is expensive and based on my testing is usually much slower than regular airmail.  The problem is "not" on the Thailand end with the Thai Postal System but on the U.S. end with the USPS.

On 11/17/2022 at 3:08 PM, KhunLA said:

FedEx, UPS, DHL is no guarantee either, as they lose stuff also.  Especially at Xmas time when using part time temporary help.  One of those krap jobs I had ????

 

If OP knows someone in states, could send to them, and they could forward registered USPS, then would have a receipt.

No guarantee that’ll work either. I sent my first notice response from a Post Office in California in August and yet got the 2nd notice dated 17 October last week

13 hours ago, Pib said:

Summary:  registered airmail to the U.S. is expensive and based on my testing is usually much slower than regular airmail.  The problem is "not" on the Thailand end with the Thai Postal System but on the U.S. end with the USPS.

Registered mail at least provides proof of delivery for a fee of 325 baht versus standard mail. I agree it is slow for some unknown reason. To me it is worth it to get the proof of delivery.

42 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Registered mail at least provides proof of delivery for a fee of 325 baht versus standard mail. I agree it is slow for some unknown reason. To me it is worth it to get the proof of delivery.

Nothing wrong in using registered mail, but many times it results in delivery delays as many people have reported, to include yourself.   While using registered mail gives a person a "warm fuzzy" (at a price) of where the piece of mail is in its trek, registered mail or regular mail or FedEx delivery or Pony Express Rider delivery does exactly the same thing in terms of getting the 7162 into the hands of a SSA rep who reviews, accepts, and scans the 7162 into the SSA IT system. 

 

It's not like showing a registered/EMS delivery confirmation to an immigration officer to support your case that you "did" mail them a 90 day report who then says OK I will not fine you for a late report, but you still must fill out a 90 day address report form right here at my desk so I can process a 90 day report receipt for you.   The SSA does not "fine" a person for late delivery of a 7162.

 

But if that SSA rep never opens or rejects the registered envelope for some reason then sending the 7162 via registered mail provides zero added benefit over regular mail because having a tracking number showing delivery does not satisfy the SSA requirement of actually receiving and processing a 7162.   

 

The SSA does not care how you get the 7162 to Wilkes Barre---they just need to receive the 7162.  If the 7162 never arrives (or is rejected) then a registered mail tracking number does nothing to satisfy the SSA...the only thing that will satisfy them is an acceptable 7162 or possibly going through an identity verification & interview during a phone call in lieu of a 7162.

 

Plus the SSA knows when they suspend a person's benefits due to non-receipt of a 7162 that it's a temporary suspension only....and suspended payments are sent within a few days to a few weeks after satisfying the 7162 requirement.  It's not like a person's benefits are terminated....must reapply from scratch to restart the benefits with a total loss of missed payments....the payments are merely suspended pending 7162 receipt.

 

For me, after seeing many posters reporting long delays when using registered airmail for their 7162 and my own personal controlled registered and regular airmail tests over several years I've posted about several times where registered airmail always took 2 to 3 times longer to arrive, I'll continue to use regular airmail to send our (i.e., the wife and I) 7162s to Wilkes Barre.   It was my own personal tests that drove it home to me that registered airmail usually results in longer delivery times.

 

And "maybe" even start sending a second copy a week or so later after sending the first....heck, regular airmail only cost Bt49....spend Bt98 to send two copies via regular airmail vs one copy for Bt325 via registered airmail.  Just as likely that one or both regular airmail arrives Wilkes Barre just like one registered airmail.   I might include a note on the 2nd copy saying this is a duplicate copy in case my first mailing didn't arrive due to poor mail service from my country.

 

I just received the second notice today.  Dated October 27.  Saying form was never received.  I sent the form in months ago.  Registered Mail.  The tracking showed it was received at SSA, months ago.  I cant find the tracking number.  I guess I have to send it in again. Hoping they dont lose it.