Where To Insure Glasses?

[leoleo]

Hi All,

cracked my old glasses badly, will have to buy new one. The glasses I like are very expensive , hence would like to insure it (theft and damage).

My BUPA Platinum insurance does not cover glasses , the insurance agent told me that BUPA does not have an insurance that would cover glasses, only 'actual sickness'. It's a pity, my regular health insurance back home had such cover.

Hence, I would very much like to hear from someone who has glasses insured here in Thailand: what insurance company and what package? Any additional info & relevant advice will be highly appreciated.

Many thanks in advance.

[ThaivisaInsurance]

Thai Visa Insurance can supply a Medical Policy which pays 80% of eye exams and prescription lenses annually up to 20,000 Baht if that helps ?

[leoleo]

Thai Visa Insurance can supply a Medical Policy which pays 80% of eye exams and prescription lenses annually up to 20,000 Baht if that helps ?

Not sure if it does really.

Are glasses covered by this insurance? Glasses that I go and buy from an optician in Europe? I do not mean sunglasses, I mean a Lindberg or any other make.. with, say, plus or minus two dioptries, regular daily glasses. Good makes are expensive, hence would like to figure out if it is possible to insure it here in Thailand before I go and buy them in Europe.

Sorry, my lack of understanding is perhaps in the words 'eye exams' (they are free with virtually any optician, aren't they, why need to insure?) and 'prescription lenses' - I am not quite sure what is means, in the mainland Europe glasses, unless very special, aren't normally prescribed by your doctor, you just go to an optician.. am I missing something? or prescription lenses just another word for glasses? Or these are lenses only and no frame?

[ThaivisaInsurance]

The medical policy will pay what it says – eye exams and the lenses.

The frames you pay if they are stolen.

[leoleo]

The medical policy will pay what it says – eye exams and the lenses.

The frames you pay if they are stolen.

then I do not understand how does the insurance work. Perhaps you could clarify it.

I will go and buy, say, Lindberg frameless lenses, most likely in Europe, since they are cheaper there than in Bangkok. Will go to a regular optician, who will of course run a free eye exam.

Then I will want to have my new glasses insured - so in case they are stolen, or I accidentally crack them, I will have the money from an insurance company to buy new ones.

Is it possible with the TV Insurance?

[cat5]

The medical policy will pay what it says – eye exams and the lenses.

The frames you pay if they are stolen.

then I do not understand how does the insurance work. Perhaps you could clarify it.

I will go and buy, say, Lindberg frameless lenses, most likely in Europe, since they are cheaper there than in Bangkok. Will go to a regular optician, who will of course run a free eye exam.

Then I will want to have my new glasses insured - so in case they are stolen, or I accidentally crack them, I will have the money from an insurance company to buy new ones.

Is it possible with the TV Insurance?

The reply seemed quite clear to me - the insurance will not cover the frames ("frameless" or otherwise) but will cover the lenses and give you free eye exams. I understand your point about being able to get free eye exams in Thailand, but maybe this cover gives you a proper eye exam like you'd get in a Western country, and not the quick test you get here. Anyway, if a full eye exam appeals to you I'm sure it would be cheaper to pay for that yourself at the eye hospital in Asok Road, and not as some "benefit" in an insurance policy that wasn't giving you the full cover you had hoped for.

In a different post, I asked about getting cover for camera equipment. The advice given was that I should take out a home insurance policy (still not sure of the details) which would give me some limited cover for the equipment. If you already have a home (contents?) insurance policy you might like to consider something like that, but if not you'll probably come to the same conclusion as me and decide the insurance would be a waste of money.

Of course, there might be a much better insurance policy available that is not being advertised on Thai Visa. Let me know if you find one.

[leoleo]

The reply seemed quite clear to me - the insurance will not cover the frames ("frameless" or otherwise) but will cover the lenses and give you free eye exams. I understand your point about being able to get free eye exams in Thailand, but maybe this cover gives you a proper eye exam like you'd get in a Western country, and not the quick test you get here. Anyway, if a full eye exam appeals to you I'm sure it would be cheaper to pay for that yourself at the eye hospital in Asok Road, and not as some "benefit" in an insurance policy that wasn't giving you the full cover you had hoped for.

In a different post, I asked about getting cover for camera equipment. The advice given was that I should take out a home insurance policy (still not sure of the details) which would give me some limited cover for the equipment. If you already have a home (contents?) insurance policy you might like to consider something like that, but if not you'll probably come to the same conclusion as me and decide the insurance would be a waste of money.

Of course, there might be a much better insurance policy available that is not being advertised on Thai Visa. Let me know if you find one.

Thanks for this comment, it is much clearer now (still not sure what is the point of insuring lenses but not the frame and still no idea what on earth the TV Insurance agent meant by a 'prescribed lens'). However at least I understand now that TV Insurance does not cover glasses. Will let you know if I find one.

[cat5]

The reply seemed quite clear to me - the insurance will not cover the frames ("frameless" or otherwise) but will cover the lenses and give you free eye exams. I understand your point about being able to get free eye exams in Thailand, but maybe this cover gives you a proper eye exam like you'd get in a Western country, and not the quick test you get here. Anyway, if a full eye exam appeals to you I'm sure it would be cheaper to pay for that yourself at the eye hospital in Asok Road, and not as some "benefit" in an insurance policy that wasn't giving you the full cover you had hoped for.

In a different post, I asked about getting cover for camera equipment. The advice given was that I should take out a home insurance policy (still not sure of the details) which would give me some limited cover for the equipment. If you already have a home (contents?) insurance policy you might like to consider something like that, but if not you'll probably come to the same conclusion as me and decide the insurance would be a waste of money.

Of course, there might be a much better insurance policy available that is not being advertised on Thai Visa. Let me know if you find one.

Thanks for this comment, it is much clearer now (still not sure what is the point of insuring lenses but not the frame and still no idea what on earth the TV Insurance agent meant by a 'prescribed lens'). However at least I understand now that TV Insurance does not cover glasses. Will let you know if I find one.

Prescription lenses are ones prescribed by a (hopefully) qualified optician to match the needs of your eyes, for example to correct short-sightedness.