Filing for US Social Security from Thailand

[NancyL]

Most people with Direct Deposit Social Security accounts also have a "regular" account, often joint with their spouse, that has an ATM card and internet banking access.  This way, they can go to the bank just once a month, withdraw all their Social Security at once, deposit it into their regular account and then have it safely in that account and use their ATM card and internet banking to handle expenses for the month.

 

With just one account, someone will have to either make multiple trips in person to the bank to withdraw money or make one large withdrawal and keep a large sum of cash money around -- not a good idea.

[ubonjoe]

2 hours ago, NancyL said:

This way, they can go to the bank just once a month, withdraw all their Social Security at once, deposit it into their regular account and then have it safely in that account and use their ATM card and internet banking to handle expenses for the month.

 

My hands never touch any cash. Just complete a withdrawal form ticked for a transfer and deposit form for the other account ticked as a transfer.

I also never withdraw the full amount. I leave some behind as my reserve account that is not easy to get the money from. 

[metisdead]

40 minutes ago, coldincolorado said:

I see this was discussed last year but I would like to ask another question.  I have been receiving Social Security for a year now with it being deposited into my Wells Fargo account in the US and then taking it out by ATM.  That is an expensive way to do it, though so I have been wondering about using Bangkok Bank.  We asked at the bank a year ago and they were quite insistent that I would have to go to the bank branch that I sign up with every month I receive a payment to verify that I am receiving it.  Is there any truth to this?  I already have an online job that direct deposits to Bangkok Bank and I have never had to go in to verify this sort of thing.

 

I think you might need to visit your Wells Fargo office and set up a repetitive wire transfer service.  I am not on Social Security, but I set this up more than 5 years ago in order to transfer money rather than using the ATM.  The repetitive wire transfer service costs $40 each time though, it is set up to transfer money from your Wells Fargo account to the Bangkok Bank office in New York.  Once this is set up, when you make the call to the USA to transfer money on a weekday night Thai time, it will be in your local Bangkok Bank account the next morning Thai time, as long as the next morning is a weekday with no holiday.

 

 

 

 

[Pib]

19 minutes ago, coldincolorado said:

I see this was discussed last year but I would like to ask another question.  I have been receiving Social Security for a year now with it being deposited into my Wells Fargo account in the US and then taking it out by ATM.  That is an expensive way to do it, though so I have been wondering about using Bangkok Bank.  We asked at the bank a year ago and they were quite insistent that I would have to go to the bank branch that I sign up with every month I receive a payment to verify that I am receiving it.  Is there any truth to this?  I already have an online job that direct deposits to Bangkok Bank and I have never had to go in to verify this sort of thing.

For the Bangkok Bank Direct Deposit Savings account required to receive reoccurring U.S. govt payments, you do "not" have to go to the branch you opened the account at to verify receipt of the funds.   Now you will not be able to open a direct deposit account at a micro-branch like most branches in a mall;  you'll need to go to a full service branch which can be standalone building or large branches in a mall.  It just needs to be a full service branch. 

 

But after it's opened you can go to micro branches to do transfers/withdrawals/check balance/etc/etc/etc.   

 

You can verify receipt of the funds various ways such as:  call the Bangkok Bank main number, put your passbook in a passbook update machine, if no update machine anywhere just go into the branch and have the rep update it, sign up for the free SMS for international remittance, or check on your Bangkok Bank ibanking.  May be some other ways I've missed.

 

For me, I originally opened my Direct Deposit at the Bangkok Bank main branch on Silom Rd in central, highrise Bangkok simply because I live in Bangkok and wanted to open it at this branch.  But all my Direct Deposit account withdrawals/transfers/etc., I'm done at other branches in western Bangkok  to include micro branches in malls.  And for transfers into the account I also do that via my Bangkok Bank ibanking or do a transfer from my U.S. banks.  And of course, if I start having my govt payments going to Bangkok Bank again then I will send them to my Direct Deposit account.

 

 

[George Bowman]

Thus far this has been my experience since receiving SS starting this past August. The SS check is deposited around the third of each month. Since this account does not allow an ATM card, I have to go to the bank. To get this money, I have to go to the bank (where the account was opened) and sign a withdrawal slip. 

 

Here is the problem. Originally, our intentions were to not to touch this account and use it for another savings account. But, I would hate to keel over and leave a million Baht or so in the bank that would wife could not access. 

 

So I am thinking of opening a bank account in the states and using that for my SS checks. Round and round we go...

[Ahab]

I bank with Navy Federal Credit Union in the USA and live in Thailand, and my pension is directly deposited in this USA account. I can wire transfer up to 5000 USD at a time to my Bangkok bank account in Buriram (NYC routing number). There is no fee from my credit union for this ACH transaction, but Bangkok bank does charge some fees for receiving the money (not too painful and one time fee). Then I can use my BB ATM card and pull out cash with no ATM fees whenever it is needed (up to 50K Baht per day, 25K times 2). I use this method for my US Navy pension and will eventually use this method for my social security in 8-10 years.

[ubonjoe]

4 hours ago, missoura said:

To get this money, I have to go to the bank (where the account was opened) and sign a withdrawal slip. 

That is not correct. You can withdraw or transfer it t any branch. If you do it at a branch outside the province where the account was opened you will pay fee though.

Been doing it for years.

[George Bowman]

Thanks. I have learned throughout the years in Thailand, that rules are often misinterpreted.

[Pib]

3 hours ago, missoura said:

Since this account does not allow an ATM card, I have to go to the bank. To get this money, I have to go to the bank (where the account was opened) and sign a withdrawal slip. 

As already stated several times in this post you do "not" have to go to the bank you opened the Direct Deposit account at to accomplish a withdrawal/transfer.  You can withdrawal/transfer at "any" Bangkok Bank.    I've been doing it for years. 

 

Yes, you have to show-up in person with passport and sign a withdrawal slip at any Bangkok Bank branch....prove you are still alive and breathing...that's a condition of this type of account.  And also like you said no ATM card is issued with this account since anyone who got your card and knew the PIN could then go withdraw money without any verification it really "you." 

 

Like a spouse who failed to notify authorities that you passed away months ago (which would immediately stop benefits payment if the U .S. govt knew of your death), spouse discretely barbecued at the local temple, local authorities don't or are slow in notifying the U.S. embassy who notifies other U.S. govt agencies, and the dear spouse continues to withdraw funds from your account for months as the benefit payments continue to flow in for months... and actually it would be quite possible for something like this to go on for over a year depending on when a person passed and when the yearly "are you dead or still alive" verification letter from the Social Security folks was sent/arrived back.  And for U.S. military retirees getting their military pension sent to a Bangkok Bank direct deposit account there is not such annual letter....the payment continue until they find out you have passed which could be years if a spouse really did a good job of covering up your passing.

 

Just the conditions of this account in Thailand to help prevent fraudulent transactions so the U.S. govt does not block direct deposits to Bangkok Bank, keeps the transfer fees flowing to Bangkok Bank (profits), and allows a person living in Thailand who wants their U.S. govt benefit payment to come directly to them each month to have such a service.  Some people may not have a U.S. bank account to bounce/relay they U.S. govt payment through, do have a U.S. bank account but do not want or can not setup an automatic transfer, and/or are simply OK paying a little more in fees to have their U.S. govt benefit payment come directly to their Bangkok Bank direct deposit account each and every month.  Different strokes for different folks.

 

And just to quote from the Bangkok Bank website regarding where you can withdraw funds with a Direct Deposit account, it says at "a" Bangkok Bank branch; it does not say "only" at the branch you opened the account at.   You can withdraw/transfer at any Bangkok Bank branch...as I've already mentioned I've been doing it for years

 

 

Quote

Important
If you use a direct deposit service to receive funds from a US Government Agency, you must appear in person at a Bangkok Bank branch to withdraw the funds.

 

 

[NancyL]

You can set up to do ACH transfers between Wells Fargo and Bangkok Bank accounts, using the routing number for Bangkok Bank's NYC branch and your local Bangkok Bank account number.  This is a much cheaper way to move money that wire transfers.  However, in recent years, in order to set up a new "payee", Wells Fargo has added a new security feature of sending a code to the phone number of record for the account -- and it can't be an overseas phone number.  They won't give the security code over the phone.  So basically, in order to add a new Bangkok Bank as a receiver of funds from your Wells Fargo account, you'd have to do it in the U.S. or have a friend/family member in the U.S. who helps you by receiving the security code and calls to tell you before it expires while you're doing your on-line banking.

 

Actually, I've done this in reverse for friends who are Bangkok Bank customers, where I hold their Thai mobile phones while they're in the U.S. and then talk with them the via internet phone while they're doing online banking with Bangkok Bank and I tell them the activation code numbers that arrive on their mobile phone from Bangkok Bank.

[Pib]

Many U.S. banks are indeed making it tougher to do certain banking actions without a U.S. cell phone number.

And just any U.S. cell phone number will work. Normally it has to be a postpaid number...one that is billed monthly versus a prepaid number. The reason for this is prepaid numbers have less stringent registration reqirement which does not meet bank security requirements.

Some banks might even include underlying security coding to every security code they send you which resticts the code to only U.S. cell networks which means it gets blocked from non- U.S. networks like AIS, DTAC, True, etc., which means the bank may indeed transmit the security code but it gets block from leaving U.S. networks.

Some banks will accept Google Voice or Magic Jack numbers to receive a security code over; some will not or may require the number to season in your bank profile for 30 days before working.

Yeap banks are tightening up on two factor verification with more reliance on security code to your U.S. cell phone number.

[NancyL]

17 minutes ago, Pib said:

Many U.S. banks are indeed making it tougher to do certain banking actions without a U.S. cell phone number.

And just any U.S. cell phone number will work. Normally it has to be a postpaid number...one that is billed monthly versus a prepaid number. The reason for this is prepaid numbers have less stringent registration reqirement which does not meet bank security requirements.

Some banks might even include underlying security coding to every security code they send you which resticts the code to only U.S. cell networks which means it gets blocked from non- U.S. networks like AIS, DTAC, True, etc., which means the bank may indeed transmit the security code but it gets block from leaving U.S. networks.

Some banks will accept Google Voice or Magic Jack numbers to receive a security code over; some will not or may require the number to season in your bank profile for 30 days before working.

Yeap banks are tightening up on two factor verification with more reliance on security code to your U.S. cell phone number.

Fortunately, our U.S. credit union still will do their two factor verification via email.  In general, credit unions are friendlier places for older people to bank than the "too big to fail, too big to jail" U.S. banks.  

[Rhys]

Will be filing soon for SS, on their website playing with the links,, yet one screen I cannot get into is the Benefits calculators.. it always comes back with SSN not accepted.... numbers are right... Don't have the time to go to the USA... Tried to email the Manila office. waiting...

 

Dear Nancy L,  thanks for being a resource here. certainly, in another month, I will have questions for you... Cheers.

 

Edited March 4, 2018 by Rhys

[NancyL]

1 hour ago, Rhys said:

Will be filing soon for SS, on their website playing with the links,, yet one screen I cannot get into is the Benefits calculators.. it always comes back with SSN not accepted.... numbers are right... Don't have the time to go to the USA... Tried to email the Manila office. waiting...

 

Dear Nancy L,  thanks for being a resource here. certainly, in another month, I will have questions for you... Cheers.

 

Rhys,

You should been receiving a statement each year from SSA with a listing of your earnings record, by year and an your estimated benefits.  Mine always is dated in August.  Perhaps you haven't kept your address up-to-date with SSA.  If you're resident here in Thailand for the majority of the year, you should work with the Manila office to start your SS.  You don't go back to the U.S. do this.  

[gk10002000]

On 3/2/2018 at 10:14 PM, Pib said:

Many U.S. banks are indeed making it tougher to do certain banking actions without a U.S. cell phone number.

And just any U.S. cell phone number will work. Normally it has to be a postpaid number...one that is billed monthly versus a prepaid number. The reason for this is prepaid numbers have less stringent registration reqirement which does not meet bank security requirements.

Some banks might even include underlying security coding to every security code they send you which resticts the code to only U.S. cell networks which means it gets blocked from non- U.S. networks like AIS, DTAC, True, etc., which means the bank may indeed transmit the security code but it gets block from leaving U.S. networks.

Some banks will accept Google Voice or Magic Jack numbers to receive a security code over; some will not or may require the number to season in your bank profile for 30 days before working.

Yeap banks are tightening up on two factor verification with more reliance on security code to your U.S. cell phone number.

yeah, many of my "financial" sites, require that secondary form of contact, even my social security site I log into now and then to check on status and pay stuff .  There was such an uproar about phone availability, that so far I have been able to just have them send some code to my email account.  In the future, who knows.

[Rhys]

On 3/4/2018 at 3:51 PM, NancyL said:

Rhys,

You should been receiving a statement each year from SSA with a listing of your earnings record, by year and an your estimated benefits.  Mine always is dated in August.  Perhaps you haven't kept your address up-to-date with SSA.  If you're resident here in Thailand for the majority of the year, you should work with the Manila office to start your SS.  You don't go back to the U.S. do this.  

 

Actually, when I was able to get on the site, the report indicated credit for 18-35 ... I left the USA when I was 35..  Send my probe to SS Manila.. Thanks.. more later..

[George Bowman]

1 hour ago, Rhys said:

 ... I left the USA when I was 35..  

And I arrived in Thailand at the age of 40, so we are in the same boat.

 

Throughout the years I have been involved with a Provident Fund through work. Upon my retirement, Uncle Sam plugged in this money saved and used it to calculate my SS check. The gov't takes approximately 10% every month from the original amount due. From now until I die. 

 

I really don't know why. 

[Langsuan Man]

2 hours ago, missoura said:

The gov't takes approximately 10% every month from the original amount due

It's called income tax..........

[George Bowman]

1 hour ago, Langsuan Man said:

It's called income tax..........

Must be. I have filed with the IRS throughout my time here in Thailand. Never did have to pay taxes as my salary was below the minimum of $101,300 per year. Additionally, my accountant had always included my Provident Fund on all my tax returns with no money being asked for. But yet when I retired, Uncle Sam said I had to pay taxes on my Provident Fund since it was over $10,000.

 

Instead of coming in the front door, they came in the back door. By the time it took for me to get my head around this  the 60 day deadline to appeal had passed.

[Rhys]

9 hours ago, missoura said:

Must be. I have filed with the IRS throughout my time here in Thailand. Never did have to pay taxes as my salary was below the minimum of $101,300 per year. Additionally, my accountant had always included my Provident Fund on all my tax returns with no money being asked for. But yet when I retired, Uncle Sam said I had to pay taxes on my Provident Fund since it was over $10,000.

 

Instead of coming in the front door, they came in the back door. By the time it took for me to get my head around this  the 60 day deadline to appeal had passed.

WHAT the heck,    I put everything in order last year,  really no need to file as I was always below the minimum... now with the SS, I wanted to see what I would have for pocket money...