Social Security requires a US mailing address in order to create a mySocial Security online account. That posed an impossible hurdle since I don't have a physical address in the US. So, I thought I'd try an alternative solution to this stupid US address restriction. I create an account at www.USA2ME.com (the Silver plan) which gives me a physical US mailing address. Then I will proceed to set up an account at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount/ and hope for the best. I will then, in essence, have a physical US mailing address while maintaining actual physical residency in Thailand. Sounds like a plan, right. Right?

That will work for the purpose of opening an online account. For registering for Medicare or applying for SS benefits they will insist on knowing your current residential address. Once you tell them that you are residing outside the country they will send you an annual letter to which you have to reply to demonstrate that you are still alive.

Keep in mind that the addresses of mail forwarding agents are easily recognizable by any agency or company that cares to pay attention, because they are all registered agents of the USPS. Some banks pay attention, for example, and others do not.

I got a private mail box in Las vegas which does the same service.

When you apply for SS you can move back to US to apply and then once its set up you can move back to Thailand without notifying them of the address change just change your residence to the private mailbox address or a friends address in case they send you any mail.

No reason for them to know where you are if you die the US embassy will be notified wherever you are anyway.

If its not a headache to be in touch with them every year then do it that way but for my mom it would never have worked so she did it with US address and it worked fine until she died.

I dont think you can be penalized for not telling them where you are but if you think so then thats your responsibility to find out.

Edited October 30, 201411 yr by devaram

My 2 cents: If somwhere along the lin, they ask for residence, they mean your real physicall address. Safer to be straight with them.

You don't know anyone in the U S that would allow mail to be sent to their residence?

Also I take it you will receive your monthly payment by direct deposit.

Thanks for the replies. For the time being I'll continue to report by snail mail. What was puzzling to me is why does DFAS and OPM allow me to access my accounts online but SSA won't? Ridiculous restriction. I'll pass on allowing anyone allowing me to use their residence as a drop box for my personal matters, regardless of if I know them. What I thought of when I considered setting up a US mailing address with www.usa2me.com was that it seemed to be giving me the same benefits as if I would have sent it to a residence of a person I knew in the US. Both would just collect it and shove in a drawer or a folder or forward it to me if I requested it and would definitely collect dust. In both instances, I'm still not physically residing in the US. Both would have a US residential address. In the case of the web site I previously referenced, my "anyone in the US residence" would be: 10685-B Hazelhurst Drive, No. #####, Houston, TX 77043.