i used to arrive with 50.000.- Euros in Cash . . . intended as payment for large bunks of wholesale jewelry. The advantage of exchanging with private money changers, compared to a bank transfer, was for real. It would be a difference of nearly 1000.- Euro
I use WISE, they are great. Also if you need a proof that the monthly transfer comes from abroad, with WISE you choose "costs for living expenses" and it will show in your bankbook coded as an international transfer (despite WISE uses a Thai bank account for the last step)