James Sing You can wire (SWIFT) funds from your U.S. account directly to banks in Thailand. Some U.S. banks offer fee-free SWIFT transfers, while Thai banks offer the T/T exchange rate, along with a 200-500 THB sliding fee.
With six dailies ex-BKK and three dailies ex-HKT it's going to take weeks for QR to clear the backlog. Maybe look into flying transPAC? For those bound for Europe consider TG's direct, non- stop flights which continue to operate.
WISE results in a DOMESTIC transfer so no incoming wire transfer fee. Some of us get fee-free SWIFT transfers from our home-country bank. For me, SWIFT is best overall, and in the 75,000 THB range the net-net is +/- 100 THB. Some of us also get ATM fees reimbursed, and our credit cards have ZERO foreign transaction fees.
Your balance is not affected by your getting a new phone. Some bank mobile apps can be reinstalled on a new phone by you. Others may require a visit to your bank branch.
For me, in that area of the BBL mobile app the banner says "Starting from August 17, 2025 You will be able to transfer funds, top up, pay bills and make cardless withdrawals via Mobile Banking, within the bank's total daily limits."
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