Buying Sunglasses In Thailand

[sonic_11uk]

Back home in England, all sunglasses have UV protection. Even the cheapest, non-brand sunglasses have UV protection because of government regulations.

I was curious if the sunglasses bought from the market stalls here have UV protection too. I don't spend too much on these anymore because I keep breaking them by accident.

Would I be incredibly naive to assume that they have any kind of UV protection?

Cheers!!!

[jdinasia]

yes you would be

[wolf5370]

Do the cheap sunglasses have UV protection?

Yes, you are protected as long as you keep the glasses in the glasses case at all times.

Seriously, what do you really think?

[cobra]

Very few of the knock-offs have any coatings despite the claim or affixed decals,

You get what you pay for.

And yes, I also buy them by the boat load because I'm losing them all the time, and that they self destruct after a short while anyway.

The days of buying a $200 pair of RayBans are gone for me, after promptly leaving them in a cab.

You want UV protection, stay out of the sun.

[cdnvic]

I always get suspicious when "Oakley" is spelled wrong.

cv

[Rinrada]

Its one thing to take a chance with a "real fake" rolex especially when the gold paint rubs off and makes you wrist all green but do you want to do the same with your eyes.....

[britmaveric]

I took a pair to optometrist when I was getting glasses made a number years ago - funny enough asked him the same question, and he tested them. Infact they did have UV protection.

[Patsycat]

I buy about three pairs of "Oakleys" per year and have never had any problems with UV or anything. and i have sensitive (pale blue) eyes which cry or run in extreme sunlight so go for them. But give the raybans a miss, and they had the UV sticker on.

AS LONG AS THEY LOOK GOOD! And if they don't get another pair.

[Simbo]

I buy about three pairs of "Oakleys" per year and have never had any problems with UV or anything. and i have sensitive (pale blue) eyes which cry or run in extreme sunlight so go for them. But give the raybans a miss, and they had the UV sticker on.

AS LONG AS THEY LOOK GOOD! And if they don't get another pair.

They must give some protection. Thais use them for welding.

[Donz]

most do but alot dont, I use them to just look cool

[MarkBKK]

Back home in England, all sunglasses have UV protection. Even the cheapest, non-brand sunglasses have UV protection because of government regulations.

I was curious if the sunglasses bought from the market stalls here have UV protection too. I don't spend too much on these anymore because I keep breaking them by accident.

Would I be incredibly naive to assume that they have any kind of UV protection?

Cheers!!!

You've never bought sunglasses from a market stall in England, have you?

[barryofthailand]

I buy the 100 baht pairs with UV protection. Never had a problem.

Barry

[jdinasia]

hmmm how does an average Optometrist test for the amount of UV passing through sunglasses?

[lingling]

The "uv protection" thing is just a marketing gimmick. It would be more expensive to make glasses that let uv through - they all block UV.

Now, there would be tons of other reasons to stay away from cheap sunglasses such as uneven surfaces causing distorted vision, headache etc while wearing them...

Edited April 19, 2006 by lingling

[jdinasia]

^^ huh?

[Donz]

sunnies are sunnies.

[chanchao]

I stick to reputable brands such as Carrefour. Current ones were 59 baht if I recall correctly.

$200 sunglasses... I don't think so.

[HarryHerb]

They must give some protection. Thais use them for welding.

My optometrist reckons that cheap (no UV protection) sunglasses are actually worse for your eyes than no sunglasses at all because behind the dark lenses your pupils relax and dilate, thus allowing more harmful rays in - he says squinting into the sunlight is better for you (although I agree with Patsycat, it's not a good look).

Of course, he was sitting in a shop full of $200 Ray-Bans as he told me this, so

[jdinasia]

Got a great deal on my raybans ....

BUT i go for Polarized ... (you can test them yourself) and polarized glass is always UV treated

[Gazza]

I always use 'Safety' sunglasses that cost 100 baht for out riding on the mc. They're large and have side peices on the edge of the lens to protect the eyes when the sun is low and to one side. There's nothing worse than looking at a reflection of my eye on the back of a lens.

Combined with wearing a neckerchief over my face, I'm protected from the sun. If the glasses allowed UV rays to pass through, surely I would be left with some degree of tanning or burning around my eyes.

About 16 years of riding almost daily in Thailand and never had a problem with cheap glasses.

[GuestHouse]

My optometrist reckons that cheap (no UV protection) sunglasses are actually worse for your eyes than no sunglasses at all because behind the dark lenses your pupils relax and dilate, thus allowing more harmful rays in - he says squinting into the sunlight is better for you

He was entirely correct in his advice.

Either UV protoective sunglasses or no sunglasses at all.

Edited April 19, 2006 by GuestHouse

[Maigo6]

I lost 3 pairs of original Ray Ban Sunglasses over the years, then I decided to buy cheap ones from the stalls, funny thing is...I never seem to lose them now!!

I will treat myself when I get back to Thailand to some more Original Ray Bans....By the way, how much are they now in Thailand ?

[britmaveric]

hmmm how does an average Optometrist test for the amount of UV passing through sunglasses?

He put the glasses on a machine. He didnt get technical with me - afterwards I told them they were knockoff oakleys which he was surprised. Knockoffs are near perfect to the originals - least some of them are.

[Thaicoon]

I have just bought 2 pairs of X-Loop sunglasses from the states, these are superb and only cosy 12 USD each, they look like Oakleys and are UV protected with 12 months warranty, ideal for riding the motorcycle. and made to a high standard,

[sonic_11uk]

My optometrist reckons that cheap (no UV protection) sunglasses are actually worse for your eyes than no sunglasses at all because behind the dark lenses your pupils relax and dilate, thus allowing more harmful rays in - he says squinting into the sunlight is better for you

He was entirely correct in his advice.

Either UV protoective sunglasses or no sunglasses at all.

This is exactly what I learned as a student - you could be doing damage to your eyes without knowing it with no uv protection.

Donz, is that your daughter in your avatar? That's a very cute pic!!!

Edited April 19, 2006 by sonic_11uk

[stumonster]

He put the glasses on a machine. He didnt get technical with me - afterwards I told them they were knockoff oakleys which he was surprised. Knockoffs are near perfect to the originals - least some of them are.

cause the are probably made in the same factory

[britmaveric]

He put the glasses on a machine. He didnt get technical with me - afterwards I told them they were knockoff oakleys which he was surprised. Knockoffs are near perfect to the originals - least some of them are.

cause the are probably made in the same factory

Funny you say that - lot of em are originals. Let's face it 100quid sunglasses are prob only worth a quid.

[Mighty Mouse]

10. Do I still need those "UV Protective" sunglasses if my lenses are real dark?

Yes! Most people believe that the darkness of the lens is what protects their eyes. The degree of darkness has no effect on UV rays. You must buy sunglasses that indicate they absorb UV rays.

11. Are the more expensive sunglasses of better quality?

Not necessarily. While expensive sunglasses are usually high quality, you can also get a good pair for under $20 if you're a careful shopper. Just make sure to check that they provide adequate protection from UV light and are free of distortions.

You can also take them to your eyecare professional to have the lenses metered for the amount of UV transmission that passes through the lens. That way you can be sure that you are getting the most from your sunglasses.

A couple of paragraphs taken from this interesting site:

http://www.allaboutvision.com/faq/sunglasses.htm