You Need New Spectacles?

[khunblue]

I recently visited xxxxxx in CR and ordered new ,Vari-focal, photchromatic, NON scratch, spectacles @ 9000 thb.

After several days i went for a fitting only to discover that I could not see out of my new glasses. They discovered that they had installed the right lens in the left and so on! After several more days I returned to collect my glasses. After only 2 months the lenses began to SCRATCH very badly! I was then informed that i was cleaning the glasses wrong!

I have been wearing glasses for 55 years and i am sure that I now know how to clean them?

When i returned, yet again, I was informed that I needed a new eye test and would need to purchase new glasses..............................more money!!!

I hasten to say that I did not order again from "xxxxxx" and recommend that anyone considering should do the same.

Edited December 25, 2010 by thaiphoon
Name removed. No naming and shaming on ThaiVisa

[Genericnic]

Khunblue:

What were you cleaning them with? I also got non-scratch, coated lenses and my optician told me to to never clean them with cloth but to use toilet paper or similar tissues to dry them after rinsing with water and soap. I have been religious about that and the glasses are 10 years old (my prescription has not changed over the years) and the lenses are as unscratched as they were when I got them. Of course, if they didn't tell you how to properly clean them, bad on them.

David

[sunholidaysun1]

I also went to xxxxx, then I got a xxxx back home to xxxx. I thought the xxxx knew where I lived but obviously he didnt xxxxx know . As for the glasses I bought , I put them somewhere and cant xxxxx find them.

I like this game

[Tatsujin]

Are we not allowed to write proper names any more? Does it all have to be xxxxx and we guess which company you've had problems with?

[sceadugenga]

Most of us saw the name before it was deleted anyway.

I'd be curious to know what percentage of the cost was for the frames, good frames are expensive.

Edited December 26, 2010 by sceadugenga

[skybluestu]

The opticians on the opposite side of the road are good, looks like I can't write their name but it has an orange sign. They have a good promotion too, buy one get one, my wife recently bought some new glasses which were 9000 for the frames and 2000 for the lenses and I got a pair of 10,000 Ray Bans free.

[metisdead]

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[svenivan]

My budget for glasses does not allow me to go to the expensive opticians on the Main road so I go where the Thais are buying their glasses.

If you come from New Clocktower and go towards the Old Clocktower then you turn to the left at the trafficlight. Go 100-150 m until the first little soi on your left hand. That soi goes to a parkingplace. Just opposite where you go in to that soi is my optician. I never paid more than 2000 baht incl frames and lenses but he is not giving me a pair of Ray Ban for free.

But probably he is selling same Ray Ban for around 5000 baht!

[halfhead]

Get an Eyetest,and ask for a copy of the results(ask for pupil distance too) and have a look here

http://www.zennioptical.com/

I wouldnt buy a pair in a shop here again

[cmjantje]

I would!

Same street as Da vincy, going towards Ayes there are two stores. I don't know about the yellow one but the blue and white were perfect for me. (both on a corner opposite to eachother)

I have a very difficult right eye to measure. The optometriste there did her job Very good!

Edited January 5, 2011 by cmjantje

[maxmiller]

The opticians on the opposite side of the road are good, looks like I can't write their name but it has an orange sign. They have a good promotion too, buy one get one, my wife recently bought some new glasses which were 9000 for the frames and 2000 for the lenses and I got a pair of 10,000 Ray Bans free.

That's nice, an 11,000 Baht pair of glasses for only 1,000 Baht (taking into account the "genuine" 10,000 Baht Ray Bans)

Is the shop still in business?

[maxmiller]

Khunblue:

What were you cleaning them with? I also got non-scratch, coated lenses and my optician told me to to never clean them with cloth but to use toilet paper or similar tissues to dry them after rinsing with water and soap. I have been religious about that and the glasses are 10 years old (my prescription has not changed over the years) and the lenses are as unscratched as they were when I got them. Of course, if they didn't tell you how to properly clean them, bad on them.

David

In Europe they tell you the opposite and advise washing, let them dry then polish with a good quality soft optical cloth.

Some of that toilet tissue scratches my rear, so I'm not certain about using it on high quality lens.

[sceadugenga]

Khunblue:

What were you cleaning them with? I also got non-scratch, coated lenses and my optician told me to to never clean them with cloth but to use toilet paper or similar tissues to dry them after rinsing with water and soap. I have been religious about that and the glasses are 10 years old (my prescription has not changed over the years) and the lenses are as unscratched as they were when I got them. Of course, if they didn't tell you how to properly clean them, bad on them.

David

In Europe they tell you the opposite and advise washing, let them dry then polish with a good quality soft optical cloth.

Some of that toilet tissue scratches my rear, so I'm not certain about using it on high quality lens.

You're in Thailand now, you have to hose your glasses off the same way you do your rear..

I'm a "sunglass person" and only buy genuine polaroids, some of which scratch very easily. They have to be washed and dried carefully.

I never buy the really expensive ones as I usually lose at least one pair a year or sit on them and break them.

[maxmiller]

Khunblue:

What were you cleaning them with? I also got non-scratch, coated lenses and my optician told me to to never clean them with cloth but to use toilet paper or similar tissues to dry them after rinsing with water and soap. I have been religious about that and the glasses are 10 years old (my prescription has not changed over the years) and the lenses are as unscratched as they were when I got them. Of course, if they didn't tell you how to properly clean them, bad on them.

David

In Europe they tell you the opposite and advise washing, let them dry then polish with a good quality soft optical cloth.

Some of that toilet tissue scratches my rear, so I'm not certain about using it on high quality lens.

You're in Thailand now, you have to hose your glasses off the same way you do your rear..

I'm a "sunglass person" and only buy genuine polaroids, some of which scratch very easily. They have to be washed and dried carefully.

I never buy the really expensive ones as I usually lose at least one pair a year or sit on them and break them.

Been in Thailand for enough years to be able to do my rear and glasses at the same time, whilst brushing my teeth.......a smudge now and then, but hey TIT.

[kandahar]

Checked out Sven's suggested optometrist today. Good folks, good prices. Thanks, Sven.

Didn't start there. Started out at the xxxxxxx shop in the tourist section of CR. HA! No way. Over 12,000 baht for two pair of glasses, inexpensive frames, bi-focals and that was before we even started talking about the different options for the lenses.

Went to the place Sven mentioned, it is about a third of the price for the same thing. XXXXX shop staff tells you that you cannot get replacement lenses for a perfectly good frame that you have. You HAVE to buy new frames, according to them. I knew better from experiences in another country. The other shop will cut and install lenses in your present frames if that is what you want.

BOO! BOO! Down with XXXXXX, pretty girl doing the eye exam or not! I had my own pretty girl with me, anyway.

I recommend the mom and pop shop for your purchases of eye wear. They don't answer to shareholders. I recommend xxxxxx for people wanting to buy stock. They gouge the customers and pass the profits on to you.

The parking area across the street that Sven mentioned is okay too. Covered stall parking is available, which is nice on a hot, sunny day.

Edited May 26, 2011 by kandahar

[skybluestu]

The opticians on the opposite side of the road are good, looks like I can't write their name but it has an orange sign. They have a good promotion too, buy one get one, my wife recently bought some new glasses which were 9000 for the frames and 2000 for the lenses and I got a pair of 10,000 Ray Bans free.

That's nice, an 11,000 Baht pair of glasses for only 1,000 Baht (taking into account the "genuine" 10,000 Baht Ray Bans)

Is the shop still in business?

Sorry maxmiller, only just seen your post. Obviously the opticians with the BOGOF offers price their glasses on the high side in order to be able to offer these promotions and still make a profit. We visited about six different opticians before deciding to purchase where we did and part of our decision was based on recommendations by Thai friends/colleagues who are bespectacled as many suggested here.

All of the opticians we visited had some sort of promotion, if buying just one pair then a discount of around 30-40% was offered or if two pairs then a BOGOF deal was suggested and this worked out the best deal. I think the lady in the shop actually made a mistake in offering the Ray-Bans as free as the deal should include a free pair only up to the value of the frames of the purchased pair and not including the lenses. So the Ray-Bans with a sticker price of 10,000baht shouldn't have been offered as free with the purchase of the frames with a sticker price of 9000. You get me?

The best deal we found if buying each pair separately were the Ray-Bans with a sticker price of 9,500baht minus 40% discount which = 5,700baht and the prescription frames which were 9000baht minus 30% discount which = 6300baht. So 5700+6,300=12,000 and then another 2000baht for the frames = 14,000baht which means that we saved 3000baht by going for the BOGOF deal.

Yes, the shop is still in business and yes the Ray-Bans were/are genuine.

Right, I'm off for a tuna sandwich.

[stevehoward1969]

If you ask for the right lenses those tuna sandwiches look HUUUUUGE!

[kandahar]

Yes, but then the prices are bigger too. Instead of 85 baht, it becomes 85 baht!!

Who wants to pay that?

Edited May 26, 2011 by kandahar

[Thighlander]

www.zennioptical.com ship worldwide......look at their website...one of the last medical related ripoffs in Thailand are the eyeglass thing....

[extexthai]

Something interesting I stumbled upon with glasses from here, especially if they have a coating on them. I wet them under the faucet, then one or two drops of dish washing liquid soap and a good wash using my thumb and index finger, then rinsing and then just gently blow the excess water off to the edges. I never wipe them dry anymore. The coating acts like Rain-X and they blow dry very nicely. I don't know if it works on non-coated plastic lenses or not. But I have been told all my life never, ever using any kind of paper product as the wood fibers scratch the heck out of plastic lenses. But who knows....with the new plastic polymers used these days. ett

[Thighlander]

Get an Eyetest,and ask for a copy of the results(ask for pupil distance too) and have a look here

http://www.zennioptical.com/

I wouldnt buy a pair in a shop here again

I've been a customer for five years--excellent and cheap.

[TwentyBaht]

svenivan posted above about the optical shop he uses. Thanks for the post.

I went to the shop. Professional service. No sales pressure. And, I bought a pair of basic glasses for far vision. 900 baht.

Good quality glasses. Will go back next week and get a pair for near vision.

Lady there speaks a little English. But, enough for me. She says they have many farang customers.

My Thai half translated their business card; Thai Charoen Kanwen 237 Thanalai Road 053-711348

As svenivan posted, go from the new clock tower toward the old clock tower. Turn left at the first street. Go about 100 meters to the first small soi. With your back to entrance to the small soi, the shop is directly across the street.

[Semper]

Khunblue:

What were you cleaning them with? I also got non-scratch, coated lenses and my optician told me to to never clean them with cloth but to use toilet paper or similar tissues to dry them after rinsing with water and soap. I have been religious about that and the glasses are 10 years old (my prescription has not changed over the years) and the lenses are as unscratched as they were when I got them. Of course, if they didn't tell you how to properly clean them, bad on them.

David

In Europe they tell you the opposite and advise washing, let them dry then polish with a good quality soft optical cloth.

Some of that toilet tissue scratches my rear, so I'm not certain about using it on high quality lens.

Yes, but I think your "rear" is softer than a quality lens.

[svenivan]

svenivan posted above about the optical shop he uses. Thanks for the post.

I went to the shop. Professional service. No sales pressure. And, I bought a pair of basic glasses for far vision. 900 baht.

Good quality glasses. Will go back next week and get a pair for near vision.

Lady there speaks a little English. But, enough for me. She says they have many farang customers.

My Thai half translated their business card; Thai Charoen Kanwen 237 Thanalai Road 053-711348

As svenivan posted, go from the new clock tower toward the old clock tower. Turn left at the first street. Go about 100 meters to the first small soi. With your back to entrance to the small soi, the shop is directly across the street.

"Lady there speaks a little English. But, enough for me. She says they have many farang customers"

Her husband speaks good english. He has both the new computerbased system for measuring your eyes and the old one where he change the lenses.

[sceadugenga]

I've got a pair on order at the place near the clocktower (next to the gold shop).

Nice frames, I never required an eye test, he just copied the existing, 1800B.

Have to wait a few days, the lenses come from Bangkok.

[Riggi]

Thanks svenivan. I need to get my eyes checked, so I'll check out the place to the left of the clock tower.

Rich

[sceadugenga]

The optician spoke good English at the place I just mentioned.

[TwentyBaht]

I went back to Thai Charoen Kanwen (between the old and new clocktower) today. Had accidentally broken my reading glasses. One lens was chipped on the edge. Thought I would need to buy a new lens, and a new frame.

The young man ground the lens a little, re-ridged and reset it, and straightened the frame. In less than five minutes. No charge.

I'm a happy camper.

[sceadugenga]

There seems to be a number of worth while places, I picked up my new glasses on Thursday, 1800B.

Sturdy metal frames, a bit heavy but light frames and sceadugenga are not a match made in heaven anyway.

Prescription seems spot on, I never bothered with an eye test, just took my old scratched and battered pair in.

The place is Fanthai Watches and Optics, next door to the gold shop on the old clock tower corner. 053712238

[villagefarang]

My old progressive glasses used for reading and sitting at the computer are showing their age so I have been asking around at different shops, for the price of new lenses. Yesterday I was in the area, so thought I would stop into the shop Sven recommended (Thai Charoen Kanwen), to see for myself.

For the same thing the price wasn’t that different but there was more transparency in our dealings. He brought out a price chart comparing various brands of lenses. Some were the same price I had been quoted elsewhere but he had cheaper options available and admitted his costumers usually opt for the those cheaper options.

I didn’t feel the machine got my left eye quite right so he swapped out a couple different lenses on my left eye before finding one that seemed to duplicate what I was seeing from my right eye.

I dealt with the man in the shop and only exchanged pleasantries with the young woman. There is a one week wait so I won’t know the results until then but I had a comfortable feeling in their shop and they spoke good Thai, though I suppose they speak Northern as well. Perhaps I should checkout their English language abilities on my next visit.