spectacles, the best price

[infinity11]

after shopping around
i finally learned the lowest price for standard myopic lenses are 300 a pair

they might actually be 200 as the book states
and frames start around 300

of course they will do whatever they can to avoid telling you the best price

shameful really

in fact it may even be cheaper

i want as cheap as possible since they break

and i also want to change my lenses often

[Smokin Joe]

300 is just under $10 US. That's seems dirt cheap to me.

[infinity11]

Yes and you get what you pay for.

Nonetheless it is a racket and i suspect the thai price is actually 200.

Does anyone have some insight and experience with this?

I think the thai govt actually offers glasses and packages dirt cheap at these shops, you see them on almost every corner in pattaya, but they are loath to tell you so.

I made a lot of people lose face today as i started to get more and more ticked off at the dishonesty of their practice.

They must LIVE for the commissions.

If you go in and ask for 300 baht lenses it is a lot diff than asking what is your cheapest, which they simply WILL NOT tell you, over and over. Rant over for now.

[vtjforyou]

Too cheap lenses are not as good, material is not the same, but I agree with cheap frames that break exactly as the expensive ones !

[ignis]

Not in Pattaya, but same everywhere

You got to think also where you are buying from.... go to a shop = shop rent, electric, staff wages... if a chain then profit to owners/shareholders

So go to a chain store, for me = eye test, frames and lenses total 14,000 baht or more as they will try to sell you extra like different coatings...

I went to a Optician is in the front room of his house = eye test, expensive frames and lenses total 3,000 baht.... going for the cheapest option would have cost less than 1,000 baht..

This was just over a month ago.....

Yesterday went out to buy some steel [needed 10 x 3m lengths] to make a storage rack, wanted 2" x 1" in the 7 km to the main road went into 6 places, they only had 1 x 1 asking the price all were different cheapest was 100 baht for 3 m length to 160 baht every place was a different price.... did find what I wanted 2x1 @ 125 baht 3m length with cutting on a machine to size at NO cost.. the rubber feet were 5 baht each, I paid 7 baht each for 1x1 a year ago in next Village.

As with everything pays to shop around.

[PlastikbinLina]

Yes and you get what you pay for.

Nonetheless it is a racket and i suspect the thai price is actually 200.

Does anyone have some insight and experience with this?

I think the thai govt actually offers glasses and packages dirt cheap at these shops, you see them on almost every corner in pattaya, but they are loath to tell you so.

I made a lot of people lose face today as i started to get more and more ticked off at the dishonesty of their practice.

They must LIVE for the commissions.

If you go in and ask for 300 baht lenses it is a lot diff than asking what is your cheapest, which they simply WILL NOT tell you, over and over. Rant over for now.

Gosh, I wish I could get my prescriptive lens and new frames cheap. I need progressive lens to avoid looking like I'm using bottoms of beer bottles. I went for a quote in Phuket town, The cheapest frames started at 3000 Baht. The cheapest progressive lens was 15,000 Baht and the recommended type he offered to sell at a discount at 28,000 Baht, normally 32,000 Baht. I need new lens but simply cannot afford it. My right eye is suffering for the want of the new prescription. Recently in Australia on a visit where I had the eye test done the optician suggested I bring my test results and have the glasses made here as they'd be much more affordable. I didn't ask him the price he might have charged because I was convinced he was right. I'm pretty sure I could have had them done down under for half what thay cost here. Woe is me.

[KittenKong]

I get my glasses from Boots in the UK. Much cheaper than here and very good quality, and including a full eye-test and prescription by a properly qualified person.

I find it very odd that dental and medical work here is mostly a lot cheaper than in farangland but glasses etc are usually more expensive here.

[rmicheald]

I find it very odd that dental and medical work here is mostly a lot cheaper than in farangland but glasses etc are usually more expensive here.

Especially since they make the lenses here anyway. I ordered some glasses in the U.S. (over the internet) and the lenses were shipped from Thailand.

[Suradit69]

Yes and you get what you pay for.

Nonetheless it is a racket and i suspect the thai price is actually 200.

Does anyone have some insight and experience with this?

I think the thai govt actually offers glasses and packages dirt cheap at these shops, you see them on almost every corner in pattaya, but they are loath to tell you so.

I made a lot of people lose face today as i started to get more and more ticked off at the dishonesty of their practice.

They must LIVE for the commissions.

If you go in and ask for 300 baht lenses it is a lot diff than asking what is your cheapest, which they simply WILL NOT tell you, over and over. Rant over for now.

"I made a lot of people lose face today"

Certainly not the sales people. I'm sure you gave them something to joke about for days. The fact that you feel justified to brag about your behavior is certainly telling though.

I wonder why businesses and salesclerks aren't thrilled at the chance to sell you something that nets them only a few baht.

In some places you'd just be shown the door.

A little over a year ago I got new transition, progressive lenses. Since I was in no rush, the salesperson (not Thai) asked if I would rather have them sent out from Germany. The implication being that they'd somehow be better quality for the same price. So I agreed.

When I finally got them, it was like looking at the world through a warped & distorted fish bowl. I tried them for a couple of days and I was getting headaches and felt dizzy. I'm quite accustomed to progressive lenses, but these were absolute crap. Took them back and had the lenses replaced (without charge) by some done in Bangkok. They were fine. I've had them done in Bangkok before without a problem and will do so again in future. They run about Baht 20,000 for the better quality, but in the US the same quality,without peripheral distortion, would be pretty much the same price even at the discounters.

[Phil Conners]

I just ordered a pair of memory - titanium glasses with progressive lenses, full coating, snap on sunshades, at online at Zenni optical, a US company with manufacturing in China (like most other big companies), $60 including shipping. That's less than, 2,000 baht.

Sent from my Nexus 5.

[SurfRider]

.

Phil Connors,

I hope you'll report back to this thread after you receive your glasses.

I had a pair of progressives made by an up-scale shop in Royal Garden awhile back. 6000 Baht and they were junk. They admitted making a mistake and did them over for free, but three months later, large vertical stripes appeared on each lens when the protective coating they used started wearing off.

I recently spoke to a friend who is an Ophthalmologist from the States. He said that a quality pair of progressives is normally several hundred dollars. The measurements for the highest power sector of the progressive lens is very critical and requires an experienced person to do it right.

I also had progressives made by Lens-Crafters in the States awhile back. They had to make a total of 4 pairs (3 replacements) before they finally got it right. Fortunately they have a no-questions-asked free replacement policy that is good for 30 days.

PS: Can you say where you had your measurements done locally for the lens prescription, as well as the cost? - Thanks!
.

[Phil Conners]

Actually I just got the tracking notification, and saw it was shipped from California. I asked them how come the glasses were shipped from California when they were made in China. They replied it is their company policy that all the glasses are sent to US first for QC, only after they pass US QC they are shipped to the customer.

Yes, I'll report back when I get them.

Originally I had my eyes checked at the optician in Tesco-Lotus Pattaya Nua using an autorefractor. After a year or so I went back with the glasses and asked if they could check my eyes to see if the old measurements were still good, and they said they were. I'm sure if they were not they'd not hesitate to tell me in order to make a new sale

[KittenKong]

Originally I had my eyes checked at the optician in Tesco-Lotus Pattaya Nua using an autorefractor.

As far as I know these devices only give an approximation of your prescription. The skill comes after when the (properly qualified) optometrist/opthamologist does his/her stuff, and they take into account things that the machine does not such as the depth of field.

Once you have that proper prescription an optician can make your glasses up, though I'm curious as to what happens about the actual fit of the glasses on your nose/ears if you get them mail-order.

[Phil Conners]

My late father was an optometrist in Denmark, I played with a phoropter before I could ride a bike It really isn't rocket science, not really much different from picking up glasses at the market and see which ones are most comfortable reading with. Obviously if you are concerned with other eye diseases you need to visit a proper doctor. I already did, I have beginning cataracts, but the doc recommended I wait another couple of years before considering treatment.

[JesseFrank]

My late father was an optometrist in Denmark, I played with a phoropter before I could ride a bike It really isn't rocket science, not really much different from picking up glasses at the market and see which ones are most comfortable reading with. Obviously if you are concerned with other eye diseases you need to visit a proper doctor. I already did, I have beginning cataracts, but the doc recommended I wait another couple of years before considering treatment.

I wished it was that easy, but most people have different prescription for each eye. I for example have +1.00 for the left and +1.75 for the right eye. Both have also a cylindric correction which different for each eye.

No market that sells frames with 2 different lenses.

[Phil Conners]

True, but not the case for me.

[KittenKong]

It really isn't rocket science, not really much different from picking up glasses at the market and see which ones are most comfortable reading with.

If you find market glasses to be satisfactory then I'm not surprised that mail-order ones suit you also.

Neither of those options would suit me or my prescription, even though I only need glasses for reading.

[Phil Conners]

For checking your strength if you have same requirement for both eyes and no astigmatism I think checking glasses with different strength until you find a pair that feels comfortable for your eyes is a valid option. Anyway, you're of course free to have your opinion, I'm going to leave it at that.

[infinity11]

i got some glasses in the states made in china

not the best but much better than the ones i bought in thailand so far

i think going for the cheapest ones in Thailand is the best idea for me due to quality and commercial scams

[JesseFrank]

Actually I just got the tracking notification, and saw it was shipped from California. I asked them how come the glasses were shipped from California when they were made in China. They replied it is their company policy that all the glasses are sent to US first for QC, only after they pass US QC they are shipped to the customer.

Yes, I'll report back when I get them.

Originally I had my eyes checked at the optician in Tesco-Lotus Pattaya Nua using an autorefractor. After a year or so I went back with the glasses and asked if they could check my eyes to see if the old measurements were still good, and they said they were. I'm sure if they were not they'd not hesitate to tell me in order to make a new sale

Any update on receiving the glasses yet, Phil ?

[Brevity]

When I was recently at the local market, I ran into a foreigner I know. He was buying prescription eyeglasses there, and I was very surprised at that. He told me that they were fine and cost either 300 or 500 a pair. When I asked him what the difference was, he told me about a demonstration the vendor did. He took a ink marking pen and put a line on each quality of lens. when he attempted to wipe the ink off the cheaper lens, some was left behind due to the less-than-perfect surface. But when he did the same with the more expensive lens, the ink came off easily and completely. This acquaintance buys the 500 baht ones and seems to like them just fine. I certainly wouldn't have known they were so cheap looking at them.

[Phil Conners]

Last update was leaving Los Angeles on 18 January. Probably another 2-3 days to reach Thailand by air, then usually another 2 weeks for the Thai leg. I won't start looking for the postman until another weeks time.

[phycokiller]

market in naklua sells then for 80b, quality seems fine but not sure of the location as only been there once but its a fair way down and then a little way down a soi to the right

[richsilver]

I just got my 2nd pair from Zenni Optical and I'm thrilled with both. I can highly recommend the company.

The 1st pair was for the computer, cost about $57 and arrived in four weeks. The 2nd pair were progressives, also cost about $57 and arrived in two weeks. They are both perfect.

I got a prescription from a doctor at Bangkok Hospital Pattaya and easily used that on their website for the orders.

[Phil Conners]

market in naklua sells then for 80b, quality seems fine but not sure of the location as only been there once but its a fair way down and then a little way down a soi to the right

I think you'll find it's not quite the same thing.

[JesseFrank]

I just got my 2nd pair from Zenni Optical and I'm thrilled with both. I can highly recommend the company.

The 1st pair was for the computer, cost about $57 and arrived in four weeks. The 2nd pair were progressives, also cost about $57 and arrived in two weeks. They are both perfect.

I got a prescription from a doctor at Bangkok Hospital Pattaya and easily used that on their website for the orders.

What was the cost for the prescription ?

[phycokiller]

market in naklua sells then for 80b, quality seems fine but not sure of the location as only been there once but its a fair way down and then a little way down a soi to the right

I think you'll find it's not quite the same thing.

you are correct, I confused myopia with hyperopia

[m3dave]

I have just purchased from the market soi country club 2 identical pairs of glasses 1 plus 2 and the other plus 3 take out the lens of one and fit in other throw away one pair. Result perfect pair of readers for 78 bht.:-))

[SurfRider]

.

"I just ordered a pair of memory - titanium glasses with progressive lenses, full coating, snap on sunshades, at online at Zenni optical"

Phil Connors,

Any report on your new Progressives from Zenni? - Quality?, Accuracy?, etc.

.

[Phil Conners]

I got the glasses last week.

First, the frame was considerably larger than what was apparent from the test photo on the website. The glasses that looked perfect on the test photo made me look like an owl Since they know the PD (distance between the pupils) it should be possible to adjust the picture and the frame so the relative size become correct, but that doesn't happen. What I'd recommend doing is, check the width of the frames you like and physically check how wide that would be on your head.

Second, the reading area was way too low, it didn't kick in until I was looking a mm above the bottom of the frames.

Obviously it's a disappointment, and an annoyance having to send the frames back and wait for the replacement, but at least they are cool about exchanges. Now I am aware of the size issue I found a similar pair with a size that'll fit, and hopefully they'll be more careful about the reading area next time. Time will show. I'll keep y'all updated how it goes.