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dtaai-maai wrote:I need to get my eyes checked again for some mid-range specs for computer work.
First time I tried to buy glasses for computer work I made the mistake of telling the eye doc I wanted reading glasses. He gave me a book and said hold where you usually read. Never had anyone in the US measure me that way. Told him I don't use reading glasses for reading, I use them for the computer. Held out my arm parallel to the floor, said add 6" and that's where my screen is.
My problem exactly, though a recent one that I haven't yet tested with an optician.
I don't need glasses for reading - on the contrary, I have to remove my specs to read! - but I do need them for that extra distance to the computer screen. I bought some cheapo crappo specs from the market, but I'm pretty sure they're doing more harm than good, so it's off to an optician.
I have a similar problem, but I do need glasses for reading as well. My distance vision is exceptional for somebody in their 50s (at least that's what the optician told me). The optician in the UK made me special bi-focal lenses. The lower part of the lens is for reading a book, and the upper part is for computer work.
Big Boy wrote:The optician in the UK made me special bi-focal lenses. The lower part of the lens is for reading a book, and the upper part is for computer work.
BB, that's exactly what I got at soi 74 last week, the lenses are also photosensitive, i.e. they go dark in bright light so they're my sunglasses as well.
For many years I have had to wear glasses that would give me visual accuity corrected to read Jeager#1 at 30 cm in one eye. Type something in Word at 3.5 point type face and try to read a printed version.
Also could not be photo sensitive as much of my work was using a UV lamp.
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.
Consequently I have normal specs with graduated lenses X2 to X4 strength. It's all a matter of focus, with the same specs I can look for small cracks in aircraft, drive, read, use computer and watch TV. It's all about holding the head at a slightly different angle to focus.
Wanted to use same type of perscription just in case I needed to go back to work. Used Dr P who I found to be good, but very expensive, probably X5 the prices others have quoted for high street opticians, but it was a special perscription.
While in Saudi my wife had a pair made specificaly for knitting, as her ordinary graduated glasses were giving her a headache.
As with all lenses it is a matter of focusing at different distances and the sharpness of focus required for each task.
First time I realised that I needed glasses, was playing trivial pursuit over a few beers after work. Someone said that my arms were not long enough to read the cards, try my glasses, it was like night and day!
Used the cheapy reading glasses for a couple of years and my optician said they fitted my perscription.
Since then my eyes have deteriorated, hence the need to spend lots of money.
My point being if you only need glasses for a specific distance be it reading, computer, TV, or driving, then the cheapy reading specs come in different strengths and may suit, as long as you have even degradation due to old age and no major stigmatism in either eye.
The stall outside lotus has samples of type face to try at different distances, or if you want them for driving ask to take them outside and read a number plate, is that still part of the UK driving test?
Mrs found a pair of these cheapies better for reading than the expensive ones brought from Dr P, which she had difficulty with when they were only 6 months old.
I eventually got the lenses last week at the opticians on the crossroads at the night market.
I've been to a number of shops over the years and so far these were the best.
3,500 for the lenses which was more expensive then a couple of other shops I'd been to but they're thinner than cheaper ones I was quoted for.
The most important thing for me was how quickly they could be done as I would be blind for a while. Other shops were telling me 2-3 days which, without glasses wasn't going to be much fun as I'm blind as a bat and would have been confined to the house as I don't have back up.
This shop initially told me 1 day but when I explained the problem they called their workshop to see if the strength of lenses were in stock. Fortunately they were and the lenses were fitted in a hour.
Given that fake versions of most things are sold in Thailand, can anyone comment on eyeglass lens quality, either glass or plastic? I know they're all ground by machine but it wouldn't surprise me if the plastic blanks (what the lenses are ground from) bear a closer resemblance to the bottom of a water bottle than a cheap camera lens. Not concerned if the frames are fake.
Top Charoen is to be avoided. They are cheap and you will get what you pay for. I took a pair of very special lenses to them to be fitted into new frames and they destroyed the lenses, in retrospect I should have known better. The coating looked like laquer that has run when wet but, they still had the nerve to send them back to me in the new frames. I think I nearly hit the roof when I got there and saw it. They offered me their top of the line replacements but there's were not as good as the ones from the US they had destroyed but what could I do? They put these lenses in the frames I bought and I was off, or so I thought.
I think there's a 1 year warranty on new frames with Top Charoen? Well, the paint was flaking off mine in a few months. I remember having them replaced just out of warranty for no cost because they looked horrible. The new frame did the exactly the same thing though so some time later I'm back, my girl with me now because she had seen what I had been through with them. They offered me new frames but nothing they had matched the quality titanium ones I already had. In the end, the nicest and lowest employee quietly suggested to me that they could take all the paint off the frame and I'd just have silver frames. I was ok with this as it was a sort of remedy, at least they'd be all one color and I'd not look like a beggar, and I just wanted to be done with it.
I find out later when they are late delivering them that the paint was much harder than she thought to get off in some places, she had literally scratched away at it for hours by hand. I thought they had some special abrasive cloth or solvent that would do the work but no. Boy I felt bad about the whole thing then because as usual, the people on the bottom here pay for the mistakes of their superiors. Poor girl wouldn't even take a tip or "money for kanom". I still look back at the whole thing as a terrible and sad experience.
That said, I know a lot of people who are plenty happy buying low-mid range frames and lenses from them and not paying too much for it. For me, there are a few things you don't cheap out on in life and glasses are one of them.
Any recommendation of where to go for a Test and have new lenses fitted to the current frame ?
I enquired at the eye specialist near Market Village but they insist on supplying new frames, which I thought was way too much profit driven, especially as mine are excellent quality ( and were very expensive)
Courage is grace under pressure and when circumstances change you change your mind.
PET wrote:Any recommendation of where to go for a Test and have new lenses fitted to the current frame ?
I enquired at the eye specialist near Market Village but they insist on supplying new frames, which I thought was way too much profit driven, especially as mine are excellent quality ( and were very expensive)
I had friend who went to Charoen last year and was not very impressed, however they have so many shops that I suppose there are different people standards.
I too will be interested what the forum says on this matter as my time for doing something about a test is close!
It does not matter where you come from, it's where you are going that matters.
PET wrote: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.
PET wrote: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
PET wrote:Any recommendation of where to go for a Test and have new lenses fitted to the current frame ?
I enquired at the eye specialist near Market Village but they insist on supplying new frames, which I thought was way too much profit driven, especially as mine are excellent quality ( and were very expensive)
I had friend who went to Charoen last year and was not very impressed, however they have so many shops that I suppose there are different people standards.
I too will be interested what the forum says on this matter as my time for doing something about a test is close!
Top Charoen shops are franchises AFAIK so standards could certainly vary.
They are found all over Thailand and they seem to hire on looks. Hiring on competence would be quite un-Thai.
