Glasses (optical variety)

[dtaai-maai]

I think it depends what you want. If you're a tad shortsighted or need reading glasses, go to Top Charoen by all means, but now that I have partial cataracts, astigmatism and a slight squint into the bargain, I'd rather be sure I was dealing with someone who knows exactly what he's doing!

I used Dr Pairat last week for my 2 sets of specs (one general purpose, one computer). I don't know if I could have got them cheaper elsewhere, but I was happy with the service and the prices.

Mrs D-M had her eyes tested at the same time - she now needs specs, but couldn't see a frame she liked. She paid 200 for the test and took a copy of the prescription with her to have the glasses made up elsewhere.

[PET]

Any recommendation of where to go for a Test and have new lenses fitted to the current frame ?

Turn left into Soi 74 from Pethkasem and there's an optician immediately on your left.
They supplied new lenses and fitted them in an existing frame I had.
I went to about 4 places, including Top Charoen, but soi 74 was the cheapest and the service was good.

Have used this place for several years.. Only with frames provided by me. Name is Choke Chai Optical and is right opposite Subhamltra Hotel on Soi 74

Thank you all, I have been to Choke Chai Optical , had my eyes tested, ordered lenses for two pairs of glasses and collect late Sunday afternoon.

[Sabai Jai]

I had good quality new lenses in my Existing Frames in January - a friend recommended Siam Optic on Dechanuchut Rd. (on the left as you walk towards the sea from Petchkasem rd - just after first juction) - Old Hua Hin family - not pushy - see the older lady, She is good, knows her stuff.

I need Varifocals - which don't come cheap, I am pleased with them. Had one pair with Reactive light and one plain. (Crizal Lenses)

I have previously used them for single vision lenses - they put a lenses in a Good old pair of Sunglasses Frames for me for 1000 Bht. They are great for walking on the beach - ( i'm mainly Long sighted)

Regards Sabai Jai

[Bristolian]

I had good quality new lenses in my Existing Frames in January - a friend recommended Siam Optic on Dechanuchut Rd. (on the left as you walk towards the sea from Petchkasem rd - just after first juction) - Old Hua Hin family - not pushy - see the older lady, She is good, knows her stuff.

I need Varifocals - which don't come cheap, I am pleased with them. Had one pair with Reactive light and one plain. (Crizal Lenses)

I have previously used them for single vision lenses - they put a lenses in a Good old pair of Sunglasses Frames for me for 1000 Bht. They are great for walking on the beach - ( i'm mainly Long sighted)

Regards Sabai Jai

I also use Varifocal, Reactive light lenses and as you say they aint cheap. I have always bought them in the UK when on holiday. Can you give me an idea what they cost here and are they good?

[tonymaroni]

I've been paying way too much for glasses here in Thailand.
Up to 14,000 Baht a pair. Why are there so many shops here the markup must be tremendous I thought.

So when I checked out a USA online shop I was shocked at the low price.

Zenni Optical .com in the USA.

How it is done.

Went to local MD Ophthalmologist talked about in this thread.
The one near Market Village.
Good exam, cataract exam included.
Written prescription with PD (pupil distance) included.
Cost about 1000 Baht. Much better exam than any I've ever received with local optical shops.

Went online ordered with Zenni.

Great pair of glasses, spring loaded temples for great fit, half rims design,
progressive lenses, great styles and 100's to choose from. Best quality frames and lenses I've ever had.

Very good website, pics of frames, active try on with model, different views.

Entered prescription in the order form. I've a deviated septum so my PD distance is out of the norm,
they didn't want to sell me glasses I picked because they were worried PD distance would cause distortion with the progressive lenses I wanted to order. Would a local optical shop do that?, doubt it. But I've worn progressives for years and told them so, and they let the order go through.

Cost 3,300 Baht with Fedex shipping to Thailand. 10 day from order to arrival.

How is this possible I thought.

$100 Bucks for glasses from America, no way.

Then I find small slip of paper in glasses case MADE IN CHINA.

So Website in USA and glasses made in China, that explains it.

Will never buy locally again. But I do thank them for the actual fitting I had done in a shop in market village for free with this pair.

Tony

[PET]

Tony - did you have to pay import duty here, because Fedex are pretty hot on that ?

[PeteC]

Perhaps the case was made in China which makes sense. Email them back and ask where the glasses were made, I don't think they'll lie? Pete

[tonymaroni]

Tony - did you have to pay import duty here, because Fedex are pretty hot on that ?

Did not.

The company was aware of that and put down value so low as not needing duty I think.

The mailing tag actually made it sound more personable than a company order.

Can't really remember details but no VAT or anything like that.

Shipping was from China, trackable online.

[tonymaroni]

Perhaps the case was made in China which makes sense. Email them back and ask where the glasses were made, I don't think they'll lie? Pete

No it was pretty clear the actual glasses were made in China.
Order tracked from China only. Just paid by Visa card to USA website.

[Homer]

So when I checked out a USA online shop I was shocked at the low price.

+1

When I first heard good things from friends about ordering glasses online, I asked an ophthalmologist (who was also a good friend) about the pros and cons of buying glasses that way. She had no problems with it EXCEPT if you need progressive lens. Her advice was to buy from sites that either didn't offer progressives or warned you that it could turn out badly. A professional needs to make measurements while the frame is on your face to prescribe the particulars of the progressive curve, in her opinion.

[tonymaroni]

So when I checked out a USA online shop I was shocked at the low price.

+1

When I first heard good things from friends about ordering glasses online, I asked an ophthalmologist (who was also a good friend) about the pros and cons of buying glasses that way. She had no problems with it EXCEPT if you need progressive lens. Her advice was to buy from sites that either didn't offer progressives or warned you that it could turn out badly. A professional needs to make measurements while the frame is on your face to prescribe the particulars of the progressive curve, in her opinion.

That is the same as PD pupilary distance and the model of glasses you have chosen.
Progressives will not be aligned correctly without it.

But if you have the PD and know the model an optician can figure out if these frames should work for you.
I made sure I had the Hua Hin Ophthalmologist put the PD on my written prescription.

The online optician denied my order at first because of this potential problem.
But I pointed out I had worn progressives for years with no problems.
My PD is out whack because of deviated septum not actual total of 2 PD's.
Not until I certified this in our back and forth emails would they let the order go though.

Progressives working fine with this pair.

At 4000 with the Dr. exam Baht total, versus the 14,000 Baht locally with a hot chick in a white dress (whose qualifications I doubt) where is my gamble it came down to me.

Tony

[Homer]

That is the same as PD pupilary distance and the model of glasses you have chosen.
Progressives will not be aligned correctly without it.

Almost. It's the model of glasses and how they sit on you. Different shaped faces mean 2 people can wear the same frame. In layman's terms it also means when 2 such people are looking straight ahead with a level head their eye centers are at different places on the lenses.

You don't have to believe me. Search for advice on progressive lenses on the sites selling glasses.

[STEVE G]

While we're on the subject of glasses, does anyone know if it's possible to get bifocal lenses for sunglasses? I have to use reading glasses most of the time for work but I often find them inconvenient to carry around all the time elsewhere and sometimes when I'm in Thailand I find myself at a loss for reading menus and that kind of thing.

[tonymaroni]

When I ordered glasses online the recommended PD for each pair was printed below each pair. Different sizes for different lenses sizes and styles. All styles are not available to all PD's.

From an online site:

PD is the distance between the centre of one pupil to the centre of the other pupil. Prescription glasses are made so that the distance between the optical centres of the glasses' lenses, is the same as your PD. PD varies from person to person but once you are an adult, your PD does not change. Therefore, as an adult, if you have had it measured, then it will still be the same, even if your spectacle prescription has changed. Once you know your PD, you do not need to measure it every time you buy prescription glasses.

PD is measured either during the eye test or when prescription glasses are ordered. Obviously we cannot measure your PD over the internet, so it is best to make sure your PD is included in your glasses prescription.

I am not an optician or run an online biz for glasses. Just a wearer and pair I ordered online work great for me.

Tony

[wpcoe]

Why one eye? I am told, although have never tried it, they can give you contact lenses of different strengths for each eye, in effect bi-focal and the brain will adapt, giving you (near) perfect vision at all distances. Also told that this does not suit eveyone.

That's referred to as monovision, and I discovered it by accident one time when I tore a contact lens and had to remove it while I was travelling and had no replacement. Some people get dizzy using only one corrective lens, but I took to it immediately and halved my expenses on contact lenses. (I no longer wear contacts, BTW.)

I use monovision eyeglasses now, with a corrective lens for my right eye and a plain non-corrective lens for the left eye. After much insistence that that IS in fact what I want, the eyeglass shops will usually agree to do it. (There was one place that refused to do it, so I thanked them for their time and left.)

However, I want "coated lenses" which are scratch-resistant and UV-filtering. Before they finalize the order, I make sure that they understand BOTH lenses should be coated, but I have yet to not get glasses with a standard non-coated lens for the left eye. The left lens gets scratched up much more quickly than the right. Although I've never pressed the issue, I'm pretty sure I've been paying for TWO coated lenses, while only getting ONE.