Where to get eyes tested and buy glasses?

[beb]

Just want to put in my 2 cents here. Yesterday I went to Vision Center and picked up a pair of glasses. All total I paid around 5,000 baht for my glasses, a little more than I'd like (I really prefer basic styles etc but glasses are simply more expensive here than other places. Having said that, here was my experience.

I told the lady I wanted to basically copy the frame I came in with. She took a look and quickly found something that was close enough. Then we discussed lenses. I'm not a fan of all the coatings that tend to scratch and she boiled it down to a choice between medium and very thin. I went for the more expensive thin version because of my frame.

I was examined by a lady in probably the most advanced vision test I've ever had. I mean it was very pristine and cutting edge. There were parts of the exam I've never had before. It was all very professional and relaxed. I was asked various questions about my age, my old glasses were checked and she was very personable.

After finishing the exam, I had another lady measure the glasses for my face, make various notations and then another sat me down to mark on the lens the center of my eyes (I think). I was told the glasses would be finished in an hour. I left a couple of thousand baht and paid the balance when I picked up the glasses.

It was a very pleasant experience and the people there are very efficient in their different roles.

I'm saying all of this because I've had 2 pair of glasses previously made in Thailand and both were sort of a disaster. And both times I was trying to save money. As much as I like to save money, it doesn't work, I think, in the glasses world in Thailand.

I previously lived in Korea and loved the glasses I bought there for a total of $50 and damn I'd love to be able to get those sorts of deals again but the lesson I learned here was that it is better and ultimately cheaper to go with a legit shop like Vision Center than searching for deals for inferior experiences and products.

[RxDan]

Just received 2 pairs of progressive glasses from Zenni optical. Excellent deal