Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing US Social Security in the context of Retirement Visas here in Thailand. 

A recent email we got from a viewer, I thought this was worth noting. "I thought on your video recommendations for attracting more retirees to Thailand was great; a lot of information was given. I would also like to recommend that the Thai Government allow a formal letter from the US Social Security Office as verification from the Office in Manila for the 65,000 Baht monthly pension as the US Embassy in Bangkok will not do it now. I would not want to keep 800,000 Baht in a bank there for the time of my Visa." 

Well a couple of things at play here. I have heard this from other folks which is the reason I decided to do the video to maybe provide some nuance, provide some clarity. The key point here is that the Embassy in Bangkok won't do it. Essentially, the US Embassy, the US Mission to Thailand is the conduit by which the US Government communicates with the Thai Government. Notwithstanding a document for example from the Social Security Office in Manila, the Thai Government just doesn't view that especially Thai Immigration, just does not view that as being directly verified by the US Government or the US Mission here in Thailand. I think what this all comes back to is if you go back to when they discontinued use or issuance of Income Affidavits at the US Embassy, the reason for that was that the Thai Government was asking the US Government whether or not they were attesting to the veracity of the document. Somebody would go in to the US Embassy, they would sign something that said I have X number of dollars a month coming in but the US Embassy was simply notarizing those folks' signature, they were not having anything to do with the substance of the letter. The Thai Government asked about that. They basically asked the question point blank: "Are you attesting to the veracity of these letters?" and the US Government said: "No we are not doing that." Yeah I think Social Security is issuing a letter that is attesting to the fact that someone may have Social Security benefits coming from the Social Security Administration but I don't think the Embassy at any time in the relatively foreseeable future is going to verify that. I think the State Department probably views that as an exercise in due diligence that they are just basically not equipped to provide.

You have got to bear in mind that Social Security is not the same thing as the State Department, it is not the same thing as the Embassy. I know that is cold comfort. There are some people that watch this channel that when I say things like this they get perturbed but it just is what it is. Social Security isn't the Embassy so until such time as the Embassy is willing to verify a letter like that and forward it on to the Thai Government or provide some sort of cover letter that says, and I am not saying that everyone can do this I am just thinking hypothetically, that says: "hey, we are attesting to the Social Security Office in Manila's documentation." I don't think any time in the future we are going to see that and if we did it would be a major sea change with respect to the rules and regulations regarding Retirement Visas here in the Kingdom of Thailand.