Computer Glasses

[sturdyd]

My progressive lens glasses are becoming inadequate for use with my laptop. Rather than getting new progressives, which are laughably expensive here, I'm thinking of going with a single vision pair just for use when I'm computing. Has anybody had experience with something like this? Specifically, where did you get them, how much they cost, and were they effective?

[Stocky]

I've gone down that route, so yes it works. I have two pairs of glasses, bifocals for reading and general life, plus a pair of glasses for working on the computer, they have a focal range around about 1-2m so near distance; the range to my monitor. But that's working with a desktop, working on the laptop I tend to wear my bifocals because with a laptop you sit closer to the screen and the viewing angle is downward, so I'm not sure what I have would work well for you. I tried varifocal (progressive) lenses but couldn't live with them.

 

Any opticians will set you up with glasses just explain what you want to use them for. Cost, no idea in Thailand I bought these on one of my trips back to the UK, the two pairs with frames were £280 from Vision Express.

[Pib]

Depending on your eye prescription especially if you have little or moderate astigmatism and both eyes are similar in vision, just a cheapie pair of near vision/reading glasses you can buy on the street for Bt50 to Bt200 may work just fine for you.    Buy several....leave them laying around the house...no need to worry about  taking out a loan to buy a near pair if they get broke.

 

If so, take a look at your last prescription under the column probably called Add for a plus or minus number which is the magnification needed for good near vision/reading/looking at a computer screen.  It could be a plus or minus number.     Know say it as a +2.50 in each eye at time of prescription, you would probably need a +3.00 or more by now I would guess.  But with that as a starting point, just stop at any street vendor selling those cheapie glasses...try on different ones...like a +3, +3,5, +2.5, etc., and see how things look. 

 

I too have an expensive pair of progressive lens good for distance, intermediate, and near which I rarely wear....instead I just use a Bt50 pair of +2.5 reading glasses for reading/computering....things are clear as a bell.  Fortunately, both of my eyes are very similar in vision....works out well with the near vision number being +2.5 in one eye and +2.25 in the other eye.  And for far distance a +1.5 makes things clear as a bell.  I just got the progressive's in a weak moment when the wife was getting her new progressive's. 

 

 

[sturdyd]

Pib, good advice! I have no problem with progressives and have been wearing them for years. But one of the local chains wanted 20000-plus baht for new ones. So I could buy every pair of readers the local guy has and still come out like 19000 baht ahead. I'll probably one of everything from, say, 2.00 to 4,00 in quarter diopter increments. Surely I'll find something that will work!  Thanks for the idea!

[dddave]

OP, If you have a copy of your prescription, Zenni Optical, an online seller of glasses can make you a new pair of progressives very inexpensivly and delivery to Thailand is very reasonable.  I had a pair of progressives made by them with high index, very lightweight lenses for about $150.  Single vision glasses can be had for al little as $20

I've been using my progressives for six months and they have proved sturdy and scratch resistant.

If you don't have your prescription and you are handy to Bangkok, you can get a comprehensive eye exam at Rutnin Eye Hospital on Asok for B1300.  

I took my GF to Rutnin and then ordered her several pair of glasses from Zenni.  They were delivered within 2 weeks and the prescription was spot on.  www.zennioptical.com

[sturdyd]

Dave, yes, I've used Zenni in the US with generally good results. I live in Ayutthaya so Bangkok isn't out of the question. I'd like some more feed back on Rutnin Eye Hospital though. Can anybody else vouch for them?

[dddave]

 

23 hours ago, sturdyd said:

I'd like some more feed back on Rutnin Eye Hospital though

The Thai Visa search engine doesn't seem to be working well these days but if you Google Rutnin Eye Hosp you will see a number of Thai Visa threads regarding it.

BTW, regarding Zenni. When they shipped my glasses to me here in Thailand, I realized they were shipped directly from China. That seems to be where they are actually made.

Edited March 5, 2017 by dddave

[Pib]

yea...just use google....put in your search words and insure one of those words is thaivisa.  Then it show ThaiVisa threads talking whatever you were searching for.  The current Search function in ThaiVisa since their upgrade only goes back like around 90 days...before the upgrade it use to go back to the beginning of ThaiVisa.

 

[sturdyd]

Done! Rutin it is. Thanks everybody.

[dddave]

23 hours ago, sturdyd said:

Done! Rutin it is. Thanks everybody.

Note that it is at the far end of Asok, closer to Petchabury Rd., a fairly long walk from the Sukhumvit intersection. It is on the right side as you are walking towards Petchabury

You can go as a "walk-in" and be seen but that can entail a long wait.  We made an appointment and they saw us right on time.  Be sure to tell them you want a copy of your prescription and make sure it includes "PD", (pupilary distance) important when ordering online. Headwidth is also a useful number to get.

[oldcarguy]

 went to Rutin in December and was very happy

 

one thing I would do is measure how far away your computer screen is from your face at your normal seating position

 

then tell them that and they can check your eyes for that distance , it may not be the same as reading a book that is right in your lap !

[sturdyd]

Well, shoot. I finally drove to Bangkok (no fun, that) to get a prescription from Rutnin. I gotta tell you I was totally unimpressed. From the posts on this forum I was under the impression that Rutnin was a 21st Century State of the Art facility. Not so (though the furniture was nice). The -- I dunno -- doctor? did exactly what they did at Top Charoen: put some steam punk goggles on me and then started slipping lenses in and out. When I finally did get my prescription it made no sense to me. For those of you who are knowledgeable in such things would a right eye sphere of -0.25 and a left eye sphere of +1.25 possibly be correct? And an axis of 180 on both eyes? I've never had a prescription read like this. I don't trust it at all. Anyway, I'm feeling like it was a wasted trip and, jeez, why is it so hard to get an eyeglass prescription over here?

[Gary A]

I lost my reading glasses and was pretty desperate to get a new pair. I can't buy them off the rack because there is too much difference between my eyes. Our village has a shop called Top Charoen. I stopped in there and thought their price for reading glasses was very expensive. Since I needed the glasses, I went ahead and paid the 5,000 baht. The glasses work well for reading and viewing the computer monitor, so I forgot about the price. After a couple years, the frames broke.  One of the tiny screws had broken off. I went back to the shop and they said they could have them repaired but would have to send them to Bangkok. It took a while but when I got them back, there was no charge. Maybe I didn't overpay.

 

[ETatBKK]

when I was new to the reading glasses, every two / three years I need a new pair then usually I kept the frame but a new pair of lenses, at the professional shop in my home country.  BUT, it was a WRONG approach. 

these years, I keep those ‘retired’ reading glasses for book reading and I re-use them for computer; still good to keep a one-arm away from the monitor and my mobile phone.

 

there is a new ‘short-ranged’ progressive lenses for desk work and for computer, but I still prefer fixed lenses.

 

quality of the monitor HELPS !  I have 2 Dell monitors connect to the same computer; the first one is a general grade and I see pixelized lettering, the second one is a professional monitor and the lettering is paper-printed quality, very sharp and easy to read.

[ArnonK]

Since some years, I use special color coated glasses on Computer. The Range of those monitors goes from 8"-24" and my glasses have +200 with a blue color coating of 25%-40%, while that blue eliminates some lightwave frequencies. The result is better and clearer view. 

 

Such custom-made glasses could get to below THB 1k in some Glasses Shops. 

 

I also use those 'blue' glasses while driving with +170.

[dddave]

Though this is an older thread, I thought this germane:

https://www.zennioptical.com/workspace-progressives

 

I just saw this new promotion from Zenni for progressive lenses targeted to specific working distances: 3 feet for computer use, 8-10 feet for TV viewing, ect.  

Worth checking out if you spend a lot of time at a specific task.