Can anyone recommend a source of inexpensive prescription eyeglasses in the Prasat, Praken Chai, or Surin area. My dog got hungry and chewed mine up. Greatly appreciate any suggestions. I do need a new prescription as well.

Don't know if you have them locally but Tesco Lotus and Carrefour sell glasses from +3.00 to -3.50 for under 200 Baht. At that price don't ask if they are designer frames or have bi-focals, tinting etc as they don't.

Any market has the non prescription ones, night market here last night I saw them for 50b.

For the real perscription types there are several optomotrists in most every Thai city who appear to know their stuff.

What you will have to pay I couldnt tell you but can say with confidence it would be far less than where you came from...wherever that is.

I would not say that - in my experience glasses are not a bargain here and only designer type frames (at designer prices) are sold at the normal optical chains. Also have serious questions on quality.

I asked the price of 1.74 index lenses (the really thin ones) at a branch of Top Charoen (the biggest chain) in Bangkok.

They were 8000 baht. I can get them for ~5500 baht online in the UK but would have to pay ~9000 baht at an opticians in the UK.

So they are not really that cheap.

Thank you all for your input. Maybe I will try mail order as the big optical outlets I think are overpriced. Was looking for a small operation like Sheryl talks about in this post http://www.thaivisa...._1#entry3765644 but I really have not been able to find any. Some of the mail order look pretty good though. Again, thank you for responding.

The last pair of imported-frame progressive lenses I bought from TopCharoen lasted 6 years before the nose bridge-piece wore out ... the new glasses are about a year old now ... the prescription sunglasses from TC I did not replace and are 7 years old ... do a little division and decide what seeing the world is worth to you ...

Also any TC shop anywhere in the Kingdom will adjust and minor repair your specs for you.

Any market has the non prescription ones, night market here last night I saw them for 50b.

For the real perscription types there are several optomotrists in most every Thai city who appear to know their stuff.

What you will have to pay I couldnt tell you but can say with confidence it would be far less than where you came from...wherever that is.

I had my eyes tested yesterday. Reactive lenses, and bifocal + frames 10,000 Baht. That is actually cheaper than my last pair. I'm not sure if they had an offer on, I didn't bother to check.