Optician & Optometrists in Bangkok

[newbie0001]

Thinking about getting transition lenses in Bangkok, can anyone recommend an optician in Bangkok? How much would these cost in Bangkok? Any good deals to be had?

Do they have optometrists on site or would you have to go to a hospital to get a prescription?

Any advice, input, suggestion is appreciated.

[Farma]

My wife and I use Nice Optic located across the road from Siam discovery. We've used them for 12 years now without complaint.

It's a small family run optician. Friendly service, cheap price with eye testing and lens cutting instore. They have my glasses ready in 1 hour.

They keep a large supply of lenses and frames but if the ones you need aren't in stock they will get them in.

Varifocal lenses not including frames are possibly B 1,000 or less depending on whether you want plastic or glass, coatings etc.

Nice Optic Ltd. Part. 198 Siam Square Soi 1 Rama I Prathumwan Pathum Wan Bangkok 10330 Thailand tel: +66 (02)2510654 fax: +66 662-6583989

[newbie0001]

Thanks Farma.

Do they normally have on site labs for making lenses in Bangkok/Thailand? Or do they send orders to 3rd party makers/labs outside to make them?

I need high index, highly compact, and high power lenses due to severe myopia.

Any more opticians recommended for transition lenses?

Edited January 20, 2014 by newbie0001

[lopburi3]

Any such lens will likely have to be ordered with a week or so delay I suspect, from experience. And find the cost of 1k (possibly) for lens to be far lower than any other report I have seen or my experience and do not believe anything but fixed focus lens is normally available on site at most places. There is no ophthalmologist category in Thailand AFAIK so an ophthalmologist (normally in hospital type setting) is the normal source for prescription and that is taken to a shop where sales and opticians make and fit. I do not find this a good system as hospital doctors do not seem to want to take the time to determine what is best for you eyeglass wise but are more concerned with medical conditions and have never had a phoropter exam here (closest has been hand replacement of single lens by people who do not appear to care or listen).

Once you have a prescription I have found Zenni mail order from US very fast and of reasonable price for shipments to Thailand (they made in China).

[Farma]

As I mentioned lopburi3 thats my experience and this shop has had my varifocal lenses in stock. The lens blanks they stock are standard sizes from well known manufacturers. Just under B1,000 was the cost of my last replacement plastic varifocal lenses from the shop I mentioned less than 2 months ago.

This was very different to the B5,000 price i was quoted by my local optician upcountry. You may find like her a lot of the private optometrists work in a hospital during the day and operate private clinics after hours.

For the specialised lenses the OP requires it sounds like they will need to be special order. I would recommend avoiding a certain prolific optical chain as I've had nothing but bad experience with their quality.

[lopburi3]

I took that price as a guess rather than experience as you posted "are possibly B 1,000 or less" but if indeed you paid that it makes a very good option as believe that price is far below what most places will want.

[newbie0001]

As I mentioned lopburi3 thats my experience and this shop has had my varifocal lenses in stock. The lens blanks they stock are standard sizes from well known manufacturers. Just under B1,000 was the cost of my last replacement plastic varifocal lenses from the shop I mentioned less than 2 months ago.

This was very different to the B5,000 price i was quoted by my local optician upcountry. You may find like her a lot of the private optometrists work in a hospital during the day and operate private clinics after hours.

For the specialised lenses the OP requires it sounds like they will need to be special order. I would recommend avoiding a certain prolific optical chain as I've had nothing but bad experience with their quality.

can you name this chain?

[piyapas]

I want to recommend you to try Niche Nation on Thonglor17-19 (Sukhumvit55). They have optometrists at the shop on Saturday and Sunday. They use the machine from Carl Zeiss and do the manual eye check again with glasses. Also, they have many choice of lens for you to choose including the transition. Also, the staffs are nice and speak English very well. The shop number is 02-185-2528. :-)

[SantiSuk]

Any update on this thread - good reliable optician in Bangkok who can do a reliable prescription and supply thin lightweight coated (untinted but darkening) varifocal lenses with a good range of frames?

Would get back in the UK but can't stop around 15-20 days to get them back. Can do that in Bangkok.

Not looking for chepeast - quality over price.

Not that horrible light blue chain - appalling hiso Thai business model in an attempt to create a virtual high street monopoly