Prescription reading glasses in Pattaya

[EVENKEEL]

Any first hand experience of having eyes tested and reading glasses ordered in Pattaya? Is there a difference in quality and cost having it done in pattaya vs. in the USA. 

 

And, any recommendations of a good place in Pattaya or Rayong area for an optometrist. 

[msbkk]

Not for Pattaya especially but Thailand overall. I highly recommend to visit a hospital and get the eyes tested by a professional. My experiences with the shops selling glasses have not been

very convincing. Let a doctor give you a prescription and order the glasses outside the hospital.

[EVENKEEL]

5 minutes ago, msbkk said:

Not for Pattaya especially but Thailand overall. I highly recommend to visit a hospital and get the eyes tested by a professional. My experiences with the shops selling glasses have not been

very convincing. Let a doctor give you a prescription and order the glasses outside the hospital.

Sounds like solid advice. 

[Sierra Tango]

Top Charoen in Lotus Banchang. My Wife and daughter have both been tested and prescriped glasses which have proven to be accurate in improving their eye sight. 

 

[EVENKEEL]

9 minutes ago, Sierra Tango said:

Top Charoen in Lotus Banchang. My Wife and daughter have both been tested and prescriped glasses which have proven to be accurate in improving their eye sight. 

 

How much for everything?

 

[Sierra Tango]

1 minute ago, EVENKEEL said:

How much for everything?

 

It was a while ago ( 5 years ish) now but I think around 6 -7 K for the test and 2 frames with the prescribed lens.

[NoDisplayName]

Get the Rx from a doctor, order online from Zenni.

[connda]

1 hour ago, EVENKEEL said:

Is there a difference in quality and cost having it done in pattaya vs. in the USA. 

No.  Any qualified optometrist can do it.  You may want to try the type you can buy in any convenience store or Big C first.  They may work for you right off the rack.  If you go to an optometrist/optician, they'll cost more but they'll be made exactly for your eyes.  I've bought them for my wife.  The frame and lens package was maybe 1000 THB.  Wife's happy.  Happy wife, happy life.

[connda]

1 hour ago, msbkk said:

Not for Pattaya especially but Thailand overall. I highly recommend to visit a hospital and get the eyes tested by a professional. My experiences with the shops selling glasses have not been

very convincing. Let a doctor give you a prescription and order the glasses outside the hospital.

You don't need to go to a ophthalmologist (eye doctor) in order to get a standard refraction for a pair of reading glasses. However, if the OP is older, and has never had an eye workup by a doctor, it's not a bad idea to get checked for things like glaucoma and retina issues.  But if he isn't having any other issues other than problems reading, an ophthalmologist is sorta over-kill and they don't normally do refraction, although some hospitals will.  They'll dilate your eyes and check for structural issue. For a pair of glasses he at most needs a optometrist (a person who measures eye refraction and prescribes glasses), and in Thailand optometrists generally work in a partnership with an optician.  OP - on oddity about Thailand though.  They probably will not give you your refraction and instead will insist on making your glasses.  If you want a refraction and then order your glasses online, have it done in  the US.  Less of a hassle.

[connda]

23 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

Get the Rx from a doctor, order online from Zenni.

Easier said then done.  IF you can get a prescription, then Zenni is definitely a good way to go.  Getting an Rx from a Thai optician can be a PITA though.
https://www.zennioptical.com/

 

[RSD1]

1 hour ago, NoDisplayName said:

Get the Rx from a doctor, order online from Zenni.

 

Fully agree, I do exactly the same. In my experience, you’ll never get a completely accurate prescription from any of the shops. Any Eye Department in a hospital should be able to give you a proper one. If you’re in Bangkok and on a budget, Bangkok Christian Hospital is a good option, not expensive. Then you can order your glasses online from Zenni. They get it right every time.

 

One other thing to keep in mind when testing for reading glasses, make sure that whatever you’re reading from is held at a distance of about 30 centimetres from your eyes. The person conducting the test might not pay much attention to that, but it’s really important because that’s the standard reading distance used to determine the correct prescription. You can use a book, phone screen or anything similar, just make sure the print is relatively small and held at 30 centimetres. That should give you a reliable result.

[EVENKEEL]

1 hour ago, connda said:

No.  Any qualified optometrist can do it.  You may want to try the type you can buy in any convenience store or Big C first.  They may work for you right off the rack.  If you go to an optometrist/optician, they'll cost more but they'll be made exactly for your eyes.  I've bought them for my wife.  The frame and lens package was maybe 1000 THB.  Wife's happy.  Happy wife, happy life.

Been buying mine at a 20 baht store for a good while. Probably better for eyes to have a prescribed pair.

[scubascuba3]

I used an old prescription and ordered online, 100 baht Lazada, work fine