August 7, 2025Aug 7 4 hours ago, ricklev said: It has arrived! What do I win? A Merry Mailman t-shirt
August 7, 2025Aug 7 On 8/6/2025 at 9:12 AM, Pib said: And while doing my morning dog walk past the house of some fellow SSA pensioners ( a husband and wife team) who are out of town for a few weeks and who asked me to check their mailbox for their expected 7162s one of them had received the 7162 but not the other. And the other member of the husband and wife team received their 7162 today here in Bangkok.
August 7, 2025Aug 7 On 8/1/2025 at 6:21 PM, MJoe said: I 100% agree. IMO - they don’t have any idea that they’re doing (either deliberately or incompetently). I’m tending towards waiting until it’s closer to the time when the “second” letter would usually be received, and then if that doesn’t arrive, I will send two - one with the barcode and another blank one filled in. Because at that point, I feel like I’d have nothing to lose. As I’ve never received the “second” form (because my June one always arrived safely), does anyone know what the timing is for the second form. When do they usually send it? I had my second form arrive in 2023 about 6 months late and never got the first one.
August 8, 2025Aug 8 18 hours ago, mudcat said: Received at lunchtime outside of Nang Rong, Buriram - Postal Code 31110 - dated July 31st. No date on the envelope, but I do note that it was sent Intl. Priority Airmail. I received an envelope from my pension provider it cost them $1.70 for pre-sorted 1st class mail ($0.68.6 plus an additional $1.014). Postmarked on the 17th and arrived fifteen days later on August 1st. So, you're saying Intl. Priority Air is a different option than ordinary airmail? SSA is embarrassed and found a way to boost it this time?
August 8, 2025Aug 8 Mine just arrived in Bangkok. Form is dated July 31,2025, so if I recall correctly, this Priority Airmail from the US arrived a couple of weeks faster than mail from SSA Manila.
August 8, 2025Aug 8 4 hours ago, cusanus said: So, you're saying Intl. Priority Air is a different option than ordinary airmail? SSA is embarrassed and found a way to boost it this time? U.S. Postage rates for Priority Mail envelopes from the U.S. to Thailand (price group 7) is $57.60. What the rate is for the SSA I don't know - may be negotiated. For reference the return envelope to Wilkes Barre was ThB 68 or a bit over $2.00 this morning which is similar to the U.S. to Thailand $1.70 for airmail letters
August 8, 2025Aug 8 32 minutes ago, mudcat said: U.S. Postage rates for Priority Mail envelopes from the U.S. to Thailand (price group 7) is $57.60. What the rate is for the SSA I don't know - may be negotiated. For reference the return envelope to Wilkes Barre was ThB 68 or a bit over $2.00 this morning which is similar to the U.S. to Thailand $1.70 for airmail What I was getting at is the 5-7 day transit for the form to Thailand seems unusually short. Is that ordinary airmail or is there a faster option, because it usually takes longer. Also, ordinary airmail from Thailand is what I use, I don't think there is a higher priority airmail.
August 8, 2025Aug 8 I expect the 31 July date on the form was a "post" date kinda like post dating a check. Just a ref date for SSA use only...and to make the recipients feel like they had received the form quickly and haven't lost too many days on the return within 60 days clock. I expect SSA actually mailed the form in the 20 to 25 July ballpark.
August 8, 2025Aug 8 On 8/6/2025 at 2:49 PM, Pib said: ordinary airmail like always. Is this Thai Post Airmail? Do you get tracking with that too?
August 8, 2025Aug 8 1 minute ago, BKKKevin said: Is this Thai Post Airmail? Do you get tracking with that too? Yes...Thai Post airmail. No tracking with regular airmail. If you want tracking then you must go registered airmail which costs a lot more....around Bt350. And even then once the registered airmail arrives the US Entry point that's where the tracking/scans may stop. Plus registered airmail will typically take 2 to 3 times longer to arrive due to special (slower) handling for security purposes. And of course you can use EMS which costs well over Bt1000 which will provide tracking and faster delivery but once again tracking "might" not show final delivery..
August 8, 2025Aug 8 1 hour ago, BKKKevin said: Is this Thai Post Airmail? Do you get tracking with that too? Been on SS for fifteen years, always used regular airmail, never had a letter not arrive except when tracked; in fact, in 20 years have never had any letter to the states not arrive within two weeks. You can add international tracking, but it's much slower and tracking ceases at port of entry, so it really isn't much use. EMS or courier also complicates things.
August 9, 2025Aug 9 21 hours ago, Pib said: And of course you can use EMS which costs well over Bt1000 which will provide tracking and faster delivery but once again tracking "might" not show final delivery Bt. 1550 yesterday evening. Tracking showed it on a flight out of Bkk last night. I've always used EMS/tracking and it's always shown Final Delivery, usually within a week.
August 9, 2025Aug 9 SSA-7161 QUESTION: Anyone else out there waiting for SSA-7161, SS benefits for a child or disabled person? Would of thought both 7162 and 7161's would be mailed at the same time period!! Has anyone rec'd a 7161 from SSA??
August 9, 2025Aug 9 34 minutes ago, Autocan said: Bt. 1550 yesterday evening. Tracking showed it on a flight out of Bkk last night. I've always used EMS/tracking and it's always shown Final Delivery, usually within a week.
August 9, 2025Aug 9 3 hours ago, UDONFALANG said: SSA-7161 QUESTION: Anyone else out there waiting for SSA-7161, SS benefits for a child or disabled person? Would of thought both 7162 and 7161's would be mailed at the same time period!! Has anyone rec'd a 7161 from SSA?? SSA-7161 is for “representative payees”. I am disabled, but they have always sent me SSA-7162. I appreciate your question though, because I haven’t received mine yet and I usually receive it much earlier than folks in Thailand. I wonder if they purposefully didn’t send it to the disabled? Seems unlikely they would be THAT detailed, to sift the disabled out, but who knows. Are you in Thailand?
August 9, 2025Aug 9 3 hours ago, cusanus said: Anecdotal. As is mine. Still on general principles I would say a $50 package receives better care from the POs than a $5 one. Not that the latter won't get through. And $50 is such a tiny fraction of the SS amounts we get I see no reason not to use the best service the PO has to offer.
August 9, 2025Aug 9 21 minutes ago, Autocan said: Anecdotal. As is mine. Still on general principles I would say a $50 package receives better care from the POs than a $5 one. Not that the latter won't get through. And $50 is such a tiny fraction of the SS amounts we get I see no reason not to use the best service the PO has to offer. Suit yourself, but "best" is not best in any particular situation going by known statistics. I've been sending 7162 forms for 15 years (ex covid), 10 years for one friend and 10 for another ordinary email without a miss. That's 29 7162 forms in total (not covid years) I believe. In the last 20 years I've sent approximately 40 other letters or parcels to the states w/o a miss. The one I sent w/ tracking (early 2025) took three months, no tracking beyond NY customs and the replacement for that (assuming it was lost) took six weeks w/o any tracking past NY customs. I see many similar problems have occurred with EMS, registered or international tracking. On the other hand, I have never experienced or has anyone I know ever had a priority (ordinary) airmail letter or parcel not be received or not in a timely manner as far as is known. .It's clear from my experience and that of others that tracking runs a high risk of not getting there soon enough or at all. Your experience is different, hopefully it won't change.
August 9, 2025Aug 9 2 minutes ago, cusanus said: It's clear from my experience and that of others that tracking runs a high risk of not getting there soon enough or at all. I wouldn't say this is stupid but it makes little sense. Obviously the PO offers enhancement to EMS service vs. ordinary, which would certainly not make it "high risk", in fact the opposite. I do appreciate you have sent hundreds of stuff to the US. But still you would agree that the number is not statistically significant. If there were systemic problems with EMS/tracking that would come out at a higher level. I have not heard of any.
August 9, 2025Aug 9 2 minutes ago, Autocan said: I wouldn't say this is stupid but it makes little sense. Obviously the PO offers enhancement to EMS service vs. ordinary, which would certainly not make it "high risk", in fact the opposite. I do appreciate you have sent hundreds of stuff to the US. But still you would agree that the number is not statistically significant. If there were systemic problems with EMS/tracking that would come out at a higher level. I have not heard of any. Actually, I have straight A's in research statistics through a masters in soils/chemistry and one formal theorem to my credit. I adjusted my estimate to about 40 over 20 years and 29 7162 forms against 2 extended delays using international tracking. That, my friend, is statistically significant in formal scientific studies.
August 9, 2025Aug 9 4 hours ago, Autocan said: Bt. 1550 yesterday evening. Tracking showed it on a flight out of Bkk last night. I've always used EMS/tracking and it's always shown Final Delivery, usually within a week. I use DHL "Express Easy Doc" 1500 THB. CM to Harrisburg, PA in three days with full tracking. And "proof of delivery signature".
August 9, 2025Aug 9 15 minutes ago, cgros said: I use DHL "Express Easy Doc" 1500 THB. CM to Harrisburg, PA in three days with full tracking. And "proof of delivery signature". I'll make a note of this as an alternate possibility. Still a PO is down the street from me so a short walk and done and dusted in 10 mins.
August 9, 2025Aug 9 5 hours ago, MJoe said: SSA-7161 is for “representative payees”. I am disabled, but they have always sent me SSA-7162. I appreciate your question though, because I haven’t received mine yet and I usually receive it much earlier than folks in Thailand. I wonder if they purposefully didn’t send it to the disabled? Seems unlikely they would be THAT detailed, to sift the disabled out, but who knows. Are you in Thailand? SSA-7161 also covers benefits for children under 18 years old. Yes, I'm living in Thailand.
August 10, 2025Aug 10 Popular Post 10 hours ago, Autocan said: I'll make a note of this as an alternate possibility. Still a PO is down the street from me so a short walk and done and dusted in 10 mins. If you think a courier is more secure and that makes you feel better, you should probably use the physical address and not the PO. Courier the Form SSA-7162 Private Delivery Service (FedEx (Air-21), UPS, LBC, etc.) Private Delivery Service (FedEx (Air-21), UPS, LBC, etc.) Social Security Administration Data Operations Center Attn: SSA-7162 Process 1150 E. Mountain Drive Wilkes-Barre, PA 18767-7162 U.S.A.
Create an account or sign in to comment