Best place to buy prescription glasses

[kalel1]

Anyone know Where the best is place in Phuket to buy good quality prescription glasses? Looking for quality lenses and good mens designer frames at reasonable price.

[razer]

Me too. Just spent 8,000 on glasses I can't use. The corrections made by the shop owner were way off. We assume they are optometrists like in the west.

1. Get an eye examination at a hospital and ask for a prescription.

I didn't need any correction to the lenses and went back. He had the lenses modified but there was a small correction anyway and letters are blurred. I also asked for light weight plastic lens and got heavy glass lens.

2. I would advise find a shop where someone speaks English VERY WELL.

This is a good place to start.

[N47HAN]

Central has a few with some nice designer frames. Would assume them to be ok.

But should never assume I guess.

[nkg]

I've recommended him before - Somsak Optic in Phuket Town has always done a fantastic job for me.

My last pair cost me 1500 baht I think and have taken lots of punishment. When you're going south down the main road into Phuket Town, take the right turn down the one-way road leading to the roundabout with the fountain. Somsak Optic is immediately on your left. Apparently there are some other good independant opticians on that street too.

Mr Somsak speaks excellent English and does a free eye test.

[JetsetBkk]

This is where I go - Muang Hong Watch and Optical, Bangkok Road:

The Google picture is taken facing south with the Fountain Circle (Nam Pu Circle) about 75 yards to the north.

Edit:

And here is Somsak Optic ^ at the beginning of Ratsada Road:

.

Edited July 9, 2013 by JetsetBkk

[kiniyow]

The shop inside Tesco Lotus is as good as any and far cheaper then Top Charon and Beautiful

[KarenBravo]

Have lens replacement and throw all your glasses away forever......

[phuketsub]

I recommend Dr Kanokwan's clinic, just south of Yaowarat Bridge on Yaowarat Road in Samkong, near the entrance to Phuket Villa 1, in Phuket Town.

[bunta71]

Took my daughter to Top Chareon. Big mistake. Then went to the opthamologist at Bangkok Phuket hospital for a real exam and he discovered the two pair we had bought at the mall were less than half the power of her new prescription. Go to a real doctor first.

[Ping]

^Top Charoen are part of the Charoen Popkhand group. A very large, reasonably priced and reliable group (think Big C, 7/11, etc). Thoroughly recommended. Evidently, something went severely awry in your daughter's case, but I can assure you that it is not the norm. I've bought specs there for considerably less price than the mum and pop specs, with the same quality.

[jbrain]

^Top Charoen are part of the Charoen Popkhand group. A very large, reasonably priced and reliable group (think Big C, 7/11, etc). Thoroughly recommended. Evidently, something went severely awry in your daughter's case, but I can assure you that it is not the norm. I've bought specs there for considerably less price than the mum and pop specs, with the same quality.

You just make it up as you go or what ?

Top Charoen has nothing to do with Charoen Pokphand, neither does Big C

[Ping]

^I looked it up - you're right. Hadn't checked it because I understood it to be correct - nothing to do with making it up as I go, but there's no need for you to be polite on my account, is there.

(They used to be involved in Tesco Lotus.) I stand by my comments as to the quality and value of Top Charoen.

[jbrain]

^I looked it up - you're right. Hadn't checked it because I understood it to be correct - nothing to do with making it up as I go, but there's no need for you to be polite on my account, is there.

(They used to be involved in Tesco Lotus.) I stand by my comments as to the quality and value of Top Charoen.

I didn't want to be impolite, my apologies if it sounded that way, but you made a post which was full of misleading remarks.

- Top Charoen isn't owned by Charoen Pokphand or Big C, and actually these 3 companies are in no way related to each other.

As for your comment on the Value of Top Charoen, which by the way also owns beautiful optic, other members have mentioned already that they are not good value and that is my experience also, merely because the people who claim to be opticians have in fact no idea about what they are doing.

When you go for new glasses they will ask for your old ones and base the new ones on that,m until you feel comfortable.

I can tell you because I once went into a Top Charoen and refused to give the lady my old glasses as I wanted a correct eyetest.

Are you surprised if I tell you that I couldn't see the lightbox on the wall with the lenses she put on my nose after she did the computer test?

In fact optical shops in Thaialnd are not good value at all. Try to find a farang sized frame at an affordable price at any shop here. All their frames are based on Thai heads and way to small.

A medium size frame in the western world is 40 cm wide, good luck finding that size frame in Thailand without paying an arm and a leg.

[JetsetBkk]

<snip>

Try to find a farang sized frame at an affordable price at any shop here. All their frames are based on Thai heads and way to small.

A medium size frame in the western world is 40 cm wide, good luck finding that size frame in Thailand without paying an arm and a leg.

Careful! Some people object strongly to us farangs claiming that some of our body parts are bigger than the Thais.

[LivinginKata]

<snip>

As for your comment on the Value of Top Charoen, which by the way also owns beautiful optic, other members have mentioned already that they are not good value and that is my experience also, merely because the people who claim to be opticians have in fact no idea about what they are doing.

I did not know that Charoen was connected to Beautiful. Need to make sure I give them a miss. I once bought glasses at Beautiful, too many problems to mention, and I will never be back.

[jbrain]

<snip>

As for your comment on the Value of Top Charoen, which by the way also owns beautiful optic, other members have mentioned already that they are not good value and that is my experience also, merely because the people who claim to be opticians have in fact no idea about what they are doing.

I did not know that Charoen was connected to Beautiful. Need to make sure I give them a miss. I once bought glasses at Beautiful, too many problems to mention, and I will never be back.

They bought or merged with Beautiful optic not so long ago. You will notice that now there is a Top Charoen sticker on the entrance door of the shops.

[Guest]

Is there still some traditional companies, which relies on professional pride of serving customer, instead of pretty girls on display?

I got my last lenses at Phuket town some 10 years ago. Got served by old fashioned professional, who was more interested of my eyesight, than how cool I would look.

Currently I don't need glasses anymore, thanks to presbyopia or what the changes of they eye is called in English.

[LivinginKata]

^

Agreed about traditional opticians. For years I used Washington optics in Phuket town. Fair prices and quality service. I got caught up with the Beautiful place when I was eating at my regular spot in Kata (The Bluefin) and noticed the optician opposite with attractive ladies. So I thought, why not get new glasses there. Big mistake, that I won't make again.

[honoluabay]

Me too. Just spent 8,000 on glasses I can't use. The corrections made by the shop owner were way off. We assume they are optometrists like in the west.

1. Get an eye examination at a hospital and ask for a prescription.

 

I didn't need any correction to the lenses and went back. He had the lenses modified but there was a small correction anyway and letters are blurred. I also asked for light weight plastic lens and got heavy glass lens.

2. I would advise find a shop where someone speaks English VERY WELL.

 

This is a good place to start.

the whole glasses thing is a total Scam. Very often they get script wrong or try to convert for thai use. 8000 that's the same price here in Hawaii if not more$, w/o insurance. When your looking for a shop find 1 that's busy.. That's hard to find as there are so many its just over kill. All shops have same styles same same everything. Maybe Bkk will be better all round with many working people there.

Sent from my A200 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[honoluabay]

^

 

Agreed about traditional opticians. For years I used Washington optics in Phuket town. Fair prices and quality service. I got caught up with the Beautiful place when I was eating at my regular spot in Kata (The Bluefin) and noticed the optician opposite with attractive ladies. So I thought, why not get new glasses there. Big mistake, that I won't make again.

I like Bluefin but looked like they closed down early this year. Yes made the same mistake as well went got glasses and script not right. Go back explain to them, they don't understand, said they will send back and fix OK. 10 days later got glasses still wrong. Leave Los come back 8 months later and complain to owners then they fix at no charge. Still not right to this day. Good luck. PS I see those ladies from Kt drinking at dukes bar they must do well.

Sent from my A200 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[sausage911]

I buy mine fro glassesshop.com ( glassesshop dot com) never had a problem, brilliant price DHL delivery. I find the opticians here are not up to scratch and very over priced. My lenses are 9,000 baht here never, never again.