As I am writing this article, I am waiting for my trial pair of prescription contacts and my glasses. I ran out of contacts before my next trip to Thailand, so I begrudgingly made an appointment in the US.
You can do your eye care in Thailand? As long as you follow a few simple rules.
What you should know about eye exams.
In Thailand there are still many optical clinics that are old-school. What I mean about that is this. If you go in for an eye exam and the doctor immediately looks at your old prescription glasses first, you should probably just leave and find another clinic.
They are starting from your old prescription because they are not actually going to do a proper test. These clinics do not do real eye exams with all the proper equipment and training. They are technicians, not opticians, so they will base your new glasses on the old prescription with a few minor adjustments. Maybe.
Just move on. But don’t worry, there are plenty real optometrists in Thailand to choose from.
Where can you find good Thai optometrist?
Thailand has come a long way in the optometry business, partly because the demand is so high with expats and tourists. Because the cost is very often cheaper than most western countries, it has become quite common to travel to Thailand to take care of health care related issues.
Although you will see optometrists and eyeglass shops in all the malls and store fronts all over Thailand, some of these shops will be like I mentioned above.
Once you find an optician, just ask a few questions about their credentials and what their procedures are. You can even ask to look at the facilities and equipment to see if it is similar to the ones you are familiar with back home. Make sure everything looks clean and up to date.
For me, the easiest way to avoid this is to use the optometrists at the local private hospitals. Bangkok Hospital has around 40 locations in major cities throughout Thailand. I think hospitals are a best bet on not having to work so hard at making sure the exams will be done correctly.
But not all hospitals will have an “eyeglass store” with the ability to buy glasses and contacts. You will need to check with them when you are looking at the hospital in your area. Here are a few good options for eye exams in the most popular cities in Thailand.
Samitivej Hospital has 4 locations in Bangkok and 2 between Bangkok and Pattaya in Chonburi and Sriracha. They have eye clinics that do visual acuity tests for eyeglasses or contact lens fittings. They will give you your prescription so you can make your purchase in any eyeglass shop.
Rutnin Eye Hospital on 80/1 Sukhumvit 21 Road in Bangkok is a full service eye care hospital. They have an eyeglass shop called Moommong. They have eyeglasses starting at 1,800 THB ($55) and up and they also have contact lenses.
Mister Eye has an optician in the eyeglass shop. They will do a real eye exam on the spot and you can get your glasses (in most cases) within 4 hours. Mister Eye is located in Central Ladprao Mall in Bangkok.
Vision Center is located on 18/2 Rajwithi Road in Chiang Mai. They are one of the best eyeglass shops in the area with all the training and equipment to do the job right.
I use the Bangkok Hospital on 301 Moo 6 Sukhumvit Road in Pattaya for my eye exams. They give me my prescription and I go down to the eyeglass shop on the first floor to get my contacts. I like everything done in one place and at the same time.
There is also Pattaya Optical which is located on Central Pattaya Road. They have over 3,000 world-known frames and the exams are done by a qualified licensed optometrist. They also have a branch in Phuket at 102/6 Kata Road.
Now you might be wondering how much eye exams cost?
This depends on a few things. Like what tests you want and where you get your test. Typically the test will be anywhere from free to around 3,000 THB or $0 to $92 US.
Now free will probably mean the old-school exam or a promotion for buying product on site. This is considerably less than in the USA. My exam last week was $204 or 6,600 THB. In the US, my optician charges more depending on my vision issues, like astigmatism etc.. Most US Opticians also charge an additional fee for contact lens exams.
Some clinics might charge no fee for the exam if you purchase your glasses in house. So if you are on a really tight budget, find a smaller clinic that does real eye exams. You never know, you might just get the exam for free.
If money isn’t really the issue for you, then use the eye hospitals and regular hospitals for peace of mind. Rutnin Eye Hospital for example, charges around 1,300 THB or around $40 US for a comprehensive exam. You can’t go wrong with that price for the peace of mind. Eyes are what they do so there should be no worries.
Eyeglasses and contacts and what they cost.
I just ordered my eyeglasses last week. I decided to go the cheapest route I could. They were still $249.00 or 8,060 THB. I took the lowest cost frames with the thinnest progressive lenses. Still $249. I wish I could have waited till my next trip to Thailand. But I just couldn’t.
Now don’t get me wrong, in Thailand you can pay a lot for designer frames. But it is not necessary to do so. At Rutnin Eye Hospital you can buy frames from 1,800 THB or $55 and up. At smaller clinics like Mr Eye they are around 1,600 THB or $50 and up. Still about half the cost of frames in the US.
Eyeglass lenses can be ordered in three different thicknesses. Normal lenses are around 1,600 THB or $50 US, Medium thin lenses around 2,900 THB or $90 US and extra thin for around 5,400 THB or $165 US.
My eyes are pretty bad, but I didn’t have an extra thin option here at home so I ordered a “featherweight” lens at $139 US. My discount was $175 off for the progressive part of the lenses and I still paid $249 for my glasses at home.
Getting contact lenses is pretty simple in Thailand as they can be purchased at all the eyeglass shops. You don’t even need a prescription to buy contacts in Thailand. Just show them your old box of contacts so they can match them up.
Contacts will cost you around $15-$18 or 485 THB-582 THB for a box of six. In the US a box of six is around $22-$26 or 712 THB-840 THB. Contacts for astigmatism in the US are around $50-$70 for a box of six. You will save around 30% purchasing them in Thailand.
Laser surgery and all general eye care in Thailand.
Whether you are in Thailand for a vacation or you are taking care of your eye health issues or both, you need not to worry. Thailand has some of the best eye care facilities you can find. Most of the major hospitals have eye centers and laser (Lasik) surgery centers in them.
From basic eye screening packages for 1,000 THB or $31 US, to a complete eye check-up for around 4,200 THB or $130 US. You will find these types of packages at most hospitals.
They have teams of ophthalmologists to provide medical checks for finding abnormalities including myopia, conjunctivitis, glaucoma, retinal disorders and cataract, including treatment of all eye problems.
These are some of the services hospitals like Bangkok Hospital offer.
- Comprehensive eye examination
- Diagnosis and treatment.
- Visual acuity testing (to determine if you need corrective lenses)
- Test to measure your eye pressure
- Microscopic examination (of the front of the eyes)
- Retinal examination (to view the back of your eyes)
- Refractive error (near and far farsightedness and astigmatism)
- Cataract, glaucoma, dry or watery eyes
- Drooping (inward or outward), turning eyelids
- Itchy, pink eyes or conjunctivitis
- Foreign bodies on the cornea, trauma to the eyes
- Lumps or cysts on the eyelids
Lasik surgery centers are also very up to date “if not ahead” with state of the art procedures, training and equipment. Bangkok Hospital has what they call SuperSight Surgery.
The SuperSight surgery procedure works by which the failing natural lenses in the eyes are replaced by soft and well-flexible intraocular lenses. After the procedure, your vision will be stable and unlikely to change over time. They also do Lasik surgery in their eye center.
Most large hospitals have some form of laser eye surgery in their eye centers. Femtosecond and ReLEx SMILE as well as Lasik to name a few. Laser eye surgery prices are all over the map in Thailand. Anywhere from $763 US or 24,650 THB to over $4,000 US or 129,300 THB for both eyes.
While charges for Lasik procedures vary widely by practice and region, the average cost of Lasik in the US is between $1,500 to $3,000 per eye depending on the type of the procedure, surgeon and region of the country. As usual it is often less expensive in Thailand.
Remember with laser eye surgery, you have recovery time that might not be pleasant. So plan your time accordingly. Maybe do it near the end of your stay so you can spend most of your recovery at home.
My conclusion is?
Do your eye care in Thailand if it makes financial sense for you. If you don’t mind taking a little time out of your vacation and saving a little dough, why not? Just do a little homework and learn what you need to know and you will be fine.
Happy sightseeing in Thailand!