2 hours ago, cusanus said:

Maybe give it another week and contact Manila by email or phone and ask what you should do. You should have had it by now. Who else hasn't gotten it? 

I haven't.  Uthai Thani

17 minutes ago, pmarlin said:

I haven't.  Uthai Thani

Nor have I... my hope is that it'll come today. I'm not sure anyone in Phuket has gotten theirs yet.  This week had two days that the post office didn't deliver according to my wife. I live right around the corner from the main Phuket post office. One would think that 'might' help.

3 hours ago, John Drake said:

 

Or maybe they want us to make a trip to Manila and get an in-person appointment

Too funny... gee, you can't make this crap up....

 

The FBU gave folks an opportunity to meet with them in CM last month but apparently too many were PAM on this forum and neglected to go.

 

NOTE: I have yet to receive my form and not overly concerned at the moment.

 

I reside in Nan and with all the recent flooding as well as a recent holiday I can truly understand why the mail is late. Fingers crossed that it isn't floating down the Nan river. 

 

Regardless, I can surely survive for months without my SS.  If halted I will just go through the relentless process of getting it reinstated. 

 

Not stressed...not losing sleep or appetite....just patiently waiting 

Funny, I just got the self-congratulatory email from the SS comissioner.  I am reminded of the story of the wife who bursts into the bedroom while her husband is screwing the maid.  I'm not screwing the maid, he yells, even as he continues thrusting into her, who are you going to believe, me, or your lying eyes?  

 

"In an open letter to the American people, Commissioner Bisignano emphasized the importance of Social Security, his commitment to strengthening the agency, and the significant improvements to customer service achieved in his first 100 days in office."

11 minutes ago, ricklev said:

Funny, I just got the self-congratulatory email from the SS comissioner.  I am reminded of the story of the wife who bursts into the bedroom while her husband is screwing the maid.  I'm not screwing the maid, he yells, even as he continues thrusting into her, who are you going to believe, me, or your lying eyes?  

 

"In an open letter to the American people, Commissioner Bisignano emphasized the importance of Social Security, his commitment to strengthening the agency, and the significant improvements to customer service achieved in his first 100 days in office."

In his “open letter,” Commissioner Bisignano brags about strengthening the SSA and improving customer service in 100 days. Reality check: DOGE has axed 7,000 staff, shuttered offices in nearly every state, closed civil rights and transformation departments, and handed sensitive data to political appointees.

Wait times are longer, systems are glitchier, and benefit reinstatements crawl.

If this is “faster, smarter, and more accessible,” then I guess a three-hour DMV line counts as express service, and tracking a pizza is still easier than tracking your Social Security status.

Has anyone received the form in the Philippines yet I have been collecting SS since 2020 and have not recieved not 1 form  from SS and was suspended in 2023 and 2025 what a hassle that was  Just wondering what to do sure dont want to get suspended again.

18 hours ago, Galong said:

In his “open letter,” Commissioner Bisignano brags about strengthening the SSA and improving customer service in 100 days. Reality check: DOGE has axed 7,000 staff, shuttered offices in nearly every state, closed civil rights and transformation departments, and handed sensitive data to political appointees.

Wait times are longer, systems are glitchier, and benefit reinstatements crawl.

If this is “faster, smarter, and more accessible,” then I guess a three-hour DMV line counts as express service, and tracking a pizza is still easier than tracking your Social Security status.

Some services are improving.  See this press release 

 

https://www.ssa.gov/news/en/press/releases/2025-07-23.html

 

Unfortunately for us who receive benefits nobody in congress has the guts to address the benefit cuts which will be coming around 2034-2035.

23 hours ago, John Drake said:

 

Of course, it was a lot easier when the FBU was located at the US embassy in Bangkok. I think that was a Trump first term move to push everything into Manila. Now, the embassy just shoos us away like insects.

 

The change happened 1 Oct 2017....see below youtube video where the lawyer also reads the US Embassy- Bangkok notice of change regarding the need to now deal with Manila FBU vs Bangkok Embassy.

 

 

Odd. I had to call Manila in 2014 to apply for SS. Went smoothly though I had to supply the wrong name for my mother's maiden. I made a lucky guess. I quit watching this legal.co.th site a long time ago because it was often inaccurate and inflammatory. Manila has treated me ok since then. 

1 hour ago, cusanus said:

Odd. I had to call Manila in 2014 to apply for SS. Went smoothly though I had to supply the wrong name for my mother's maiden. I made a lucky guess. I quit watching this legal.co.th site a long time ago because it was often inaccurate and inflammatory. Manila has treated me ok since then. 

Yes.  Manila FBU has been the main SSA focal point for this part of the world for decades, "but" up to 2017 embassies in certain countries--like the US Embassy-Bangkok--would handle some of the initial steps of applying for pension application such as assisting a  basic request to start SSA pension from the applicant by forwarding a request to the Manila FBU with basic info on the applicant where the Manila FBU would then arrange a telephone application interview.   It was kinda like a 8 lap relay race where the Bangkok embassy would run the first lap but then the final 7 laps was run by Manila and HQ SSA/Baltimore.   

 

The Bangkok embassy would also do so other simple administrative actions like accepting SSA direct deposit change requests and forwarding them to Manila.   It just got to the point the Bangkok Embassy was not much more than a water boy for a football team and then one day water boy said you really don't need me anymore especially with more and more stuff being able to be done online.    So the Bangkok embassy and most other embassies got out of the SSA business other than providing free notarization services for key documents that where needed for SSA applications....like providing a certified copy of a person's US passport free of charge for the purposes of federal benefits applications, etc.  

2 minutes ago, Pib said:

The Bangkok embassy would also do so other simple administrative actions like accepting SSA direct deposit change requests and forwarding them to Manila.   It just got to the point the Bangkok Embassy was not much more than a water boy for a football team and then one day water boy said you really don't need me anymore especially with more and more stuff being able to be done online.    So the Bangkok embassy and most other embassies got out of the SSA business other than providing free notarization services for key documents that where needed for SSA applications....like providing a certified copy of a person's US passport free of charge for the purposes of federal benefits applications, etc.  

Ok, got it. Btw, I applied in 2010, not 2014. I didn't need a passport copy, just SSAN and mother's maiden. She must have given them the wrong one because she was mad at her parents, but I managed to figure it out. Don't recall the CM embassy doing stuff like that, but wouldn't have probably noticed. They will notarize anything I think, did a POA for me. The phone rep who told me about the IRS address probably was before I got benefits.  So all seems well right now except a few people still waiting on the form. I don't know anyone in the Philippines.

1 hour ago, Pib said:

Yes.  Manila FBU has been the main SSA focal point for this part of the world for decades, "but" up to 2017 embassies in certain countries--like the US Embassy-Bangkok--would handle some of the initial steps of applying for pension application such as assisting a  basic request to start SSA pension from the applicant by forwarding a request to the Manila FBU with basic info on the applicant where the Manila FBU would then arrange a telephone application interview.   It was kinda like a 8 lap relay race where the Bangkok embassy would run the first lap but then the final 7 laps was run by Manila and HQ SSA/Baltimore.   

 

The Bangkok embassy would also do so other simple administrative actions like accepting SSA direct deposit change requests and forwarding them to Manila.   It just got to the point the Bangkok Embassy was not much more than a water boy for a football team and then one day water boy said you really don't need me anymore especially with more and more stuff being able to be done online.    So the Bangkok embassy and most other embassies got out of the SSA business other than providing free notarization services for key documents that where needed for SSA applications....like providing a certified copy of a person's US passport free of charge for the purposes of federal benefits applications, etc.  

 

Except Manila was a lot less likely to ignore the Bangkok embassy than it is us individuals emailing Manila directly. They've never bothered to reply to or process a change of telephone number I sent them.

8 minutes ago, John Drake said:

 

Except Manila was a lot less likely to ignore the Bangkok embassy than it is us individuals emailing Manila directly. They've never bothered to reply to or process a change of telephone number I sent them.

Manila has been helpful and prompt with my requests.   SS DD to BBL and address changes.  Sure they've been flooded with silly queries about 7162 from a bunch of insecure paranoid expats, bogging down their workload.

 

Causing the exact same delays in services that they are complaining about.

 

Seriously, this thread is 18 pages and now 523 replies, and in reality, only needed one reply ...

... " it will get here when it gets here " ...

  

and yet .... 

18 minutes ago, John Drake said:

Except Manila was a lot less likely to ignore the Bangkok embassy than it is us individuals emailing Manila directly. They've never bothered to reply to or process a change of telephone number I sent them.

Maybe because the only changes you're required to report are the address and 3-4 boxes with checkmarks, not the phone. They have never called me in 15 years or the others I help out. I could put anything in the phone field and it wouldn't matter.  I wager you could forget to write it in (I may have a time or two) and it wouldn't make any difference. Anyway, just having fun here, nothing to get lathered up over. 

Finally received my form yesterday, August 16th, here in Khon Kaen.

4 hours ago, racyrick said:

Finally received my form yesterday, August 16th, here in Khon Kaen.

I'm guessing it has the July 31st date like all the others?

20 hours ago, racyrick said:

Finally received my form yesterday, August 16th, here in Khon Kaen.

I'm hoping mine gets here early this week. I'm in Phuket Town. I don't know anyone in Phuket who has received theirs yet.  This is so frustrating. 😠

If it doesn't arrive this week, it would be questionable whether is would return to the US on time.  They could put the status on "My Social Security" to ease everyone's mind and to simply know what's going on, but nope, instead we get BS messages patting themselves on the back. 🤷‍♂️

Just got my 7162 two days ago. Didn't get one last year or the year before. Sending the completed form back airmail.

18 minutes ago, khaepmu said:

Just got my 7162 two days ago. Didn't get one last year or the year before. Sending the completed form back airmail.

So, you didn't even get the form for two years and they DIDN'T suspend your Soc Sec payments?  If so, that sounds hopeful. 🤞🤞

Received my form today, BKK 10250. This is my first time, I started soc sec last year in March.

Mine was mailed/dated  July 31, 2025 and was received at my house on August 15, 2025

On 6/12/2025 at 3:26 PM, John Drake said:

 

I think I'll stick to returning the form via regular airmail. It's been working fine the past two years.

in phuket, my friend got his last week, Dated 31 July, so reply due by 31 Sept.   
I didn't, so yesterday i printed out the form and sent it to Pennsylvania by air mail
which is how i sent the form when i got it last year and each year i did get it,  Never used dhl ,fed ex or even ems 

FYI:
1 year i just went and sent the form i downloaded in June to the office just to see if it made any dif>
Not a bit 
so ur not required to wait for them to mail you , just mail them>
Got a freind in Cambodia, never has received the 7162 but every year in Jan he sends in the form

1 hour ago, zzzzz said:

in phuket, my friend got his last week, Dated 31 July, so reply due by 31 Sept.   
I didn't, so yesterday i printed out the form and sent it to Pennsylvania by air mail
which is how i sent the form when i got it last year and each year i did get it,  Never used dhl ,fed ex or even ems 
FYI:
1 year i just went and sent the form i downloaded in June to the office just to see if it made any dif>
Not a bit 
so ur not required to wait for them to mail you , just mail them>
Got a freind in Cambodia, never has received the 7162 but every year in Jan he sends in the form

I've seen several statements to the effect that blank forms (w/o barcode) are not accepted until the last form was still not received (by January?). If yours was accepted, that's good, but there's reason to doubt it will work. Normally, you could use last year's barcode as a template, but this year the layout of the form is different. So if it comes finally make sure to send it in just in case (after making a scan/copy)  
 

In regards to completing a blank form rather than the preprinted form with the barcode that is sent from the SSA, it is not possible at this time since they require that the form they mailed out be returned to them.  The SSA will let us know when we can start completing the blank forms, which is normally after they have processed the forms returned to them and prepares a report of beneficiaries that did not comply with this requirement.   At this point the beneficiary will be listed for suspension of their benefits which occurs in February/March of each year.  

29 minutes ago, cusanus said:

I've seen several statements to the effect that blank forms (w/o barcode) are not accepted until the last form was still not received (by January?). If yours was accepted, that's good, but there's reason to doubt it will work. Normally, you could use last year's barcode as a template, but this year the layout of the form is different. So if it comes finally make sure to send it in just in case (after making a scan/copy)  
 

In regards to completing a blank form rather than the preprinted form with the barcode that is sent from the SSA, it is not possible at this time since they require that the form they mailed out be returned to them.  The SSA will let us know when we can start completing the blank forms, which is normally after they have processed the forms returned to them and prepares a report of beneficiaries that did not comply with this requirement.   At this point the beneficiary will be listed for suspension of their benefits which occurs in February/March of each year.  

Source?

 

"The SSA will let us know...."

 

Sounds like it didn't come from the SSA.....so more BS fear mongering...

On 8/17/2025 at 4:33 PM, dingdongrb said:

I'm guessing it has the July 31st date like all the others?

Sorry for the late reply. Yes, that is correct.

2 hours ago, zzzzz said:

in phuket, my friend got his last week, Dated 31 July, so reply due by 31 Sept.   
I didn't, so yesterday i printed out the form and sent it to Pennsylvania by air mail
which is how i sent the form when i got it last year and each year i did get it,  Never used dhl ,fed ex or even ems 
1 year i just went and sent the form i downloaded in June to the office just to see if it made any dif Not a bit 
so ur not required to wait for them to mail you , just mail them Got a freind in Cambodia, never has received the 7162 but every year in Jan he sends in the form

Just take the usual advice and airmail the barcode if and when it comes. 

Finally got mine today. The Taling Chan post office, where I keep a PO Box, called me and said it was ready to pick up. Was there within an hour and returned it. Why does SSA persist in this chaotic, unreliable method to confirm proof of life? I went through a lengthy, worrisome process to get ID.ME for my social security account, and it doesn't work for anything that requires information going from me to them. An utter waste.

5 minutes ago, John Drake said:

Finally got mine today. The Taling Chan post office, where I keep a PO Box, called me and said it was ready to pick up. Was there within an hour and returned it. Why does SSA persist in this chaotic, unreliable method to confirm proof of life? I went through a lengthy, worrisome process to get ID.ME for my social security account, and it doesn't work for anything that requires information going from me to them. An utter waste.

 

My servicing post office is also Taling Chang (10170) here in western Bangkok but my address is a house vs a PO box.    I received my 7162 on 5 Aug.....two weeks ago.

 

From my almost two decades experience with the Taling Chang post office they seem very reliable.  Assuming you've be checking your PO box a couple times a week and since I got my 7162 two weeks before you then maybe SSA has staggered the "mailing-out" of the 7162 which all seem to be carrying a date of 31 July.  Did yours also have the 31 July 2025 date in the upper right hand corner of the form?

 

 

20150

Jomtien 

Nothing 

1 hour ago, Pib said:

 

My servicing post office is also Taling Chang (10170) here in western Bangkok but my address is a house vs a PO box.    I received my 7162 on 5 Aug.....two weeks ago.

 

From my almost two decades experience with the Taling Chang post office they seem very reliable.  Assuming you've be checking your PO box a couple times a week and since I got my 7162 two weeks before you then maybe SSA has staggered the "mailing-out" of the 7162 which all seem to be carrying a date of 31 July.  Did yours also have the 31 July 2025 date in the upper right hand corner of the form?

 

 

 

I've been checking the PO Box regularly. Just yesterday there was nothing in it, and this morning the postal clerk in the PO Box room called me. They know about the letter and everything connected with it, because they always offer to send by registered if I want. I just send it by airmail these days after the registered stuff seemed to get stuck in Jamaica NY. Yes, the date was July 31. I'm also thinking they staggered the mailing in the US. I've always received everything promptly that was sent to me from the US, UK, and within Thailand. I really dislike this system, though.