Mid December I signed up for benefits. I opened the site the following few weeks and was astonished how fast it was completed...like three weeks.

I forget how the call was scheduled with Manila. I think they just sent an email out with information and that Manila would call.

On the day I received a call not late but 15 minutes early. The woman on the other end was very pleasant and asked me some basic straightforward questions that more or less aligned with the questions I had answered online. She said it was all good and I just need to wait for my date to get paid.

During the interview with the staffer I also had the opportunity to change banks and I decided to go with my Thai Bank. Not a problem

On the appointed day the money was deposited in the account. The second deposit was made in early May.

When I signed up I opted for Medicare A. I declined B and will continue to do so as I am a dead-ender.

The only issue that I have at this point is that I need to change the phone number and my email address. I don't know whether I should call Manila or Baltimore? I'm hoping I might be able to do this at the meeting May 15th in Bangkok.

I found the website super easy to navigate clear and well thought out. Signing in is a bit of a nail biter because it's going through so many processes / security check.

One final bit of advice I might give people. If you signed up with social media. That is no longer a login option. Login to .gov if you can't get in then change your password. Try it again

As a side note I'm glad that I'm having the money sent directly to me here in Thailand. I don't have to mess about with transferring it and it comes in clearly as government pension which is exempt from taxes.

Pretty pleased with it all this far

Edited May 4May 4 by StarOfLight

As a follow-up I registered for the SSA meeting in mid-May

The appointment's in Bangkok or full (or maybe they added a day).

It was pretty ridiculous it was like 3 days for potty on one day for Bangkok.

Maybe they thought that everyone would like to have a bit of a holiday in Pattaya as opposed to the big smoke and the rooms would be cheaper. Not a bad idea if you're traveling anyway.

My gripe was I lived in Bangkok and I didn't really want to travel to Pattaya.

I was able to change my appointment. It took a few email but they were very good about it. I expect the confirmation shortly, but again I am just so pleased with the service outside the United States thus far