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The arm broke off my glasses a few days ago with the screw snapped off in place so I set off into town to the shop I bought them for less than a year ago - Top Charoen on the corner of Naebkehardt and Dechanuchit. As usual the bevvy of lovelies in pristine white uniforms rushed to greet me raising my hopes (I think it was just my hopes) - of a quick fix.
'Mai dai' was the answer, quickly followed by 'we have special - two for one' whilst ushering me to the rack of designer frames. Now being as clumsy as I am it pains me to be forking out on a new set of frames every year so I left the girls in their air-conditioned glass house and ventured on.
Hua Hin has hundreds of similar spectacle factories all offering similar answers of 'mai mee' of 'mai dai', 'buy new better'.
Except one, a small shop with no glistening white angels to sell you expensive frames, just a local family that knows what they're doing. Choke Chai Optical is on soi 74 opposite the Subhamitra hotel, had my bins fixed and vision again within the hour for a whopping 60 baht.
Gets my seal of approval
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
I've been nursing my old U.S. frames back to health each time they break with super glue or cannibalization. I came over with several pairs with 2 sets of identical frames, (sunglasses, bifocals, and single vision), to keep from having to shell out for new ones for a while.
My brain is like an Internet browser; 12 tabs are open and 5 of them are not responding, there's a GIF playing in an endless loop,... and where is that annoying music coming from?
Yes, that is good to know.
Most of those "Top Charoen" shops and similar ones, are just frame sales outlets. I have recently had the same run around in Bangkok.
However, it is not confined to those shops. I went to "Rutnin" Eye Hospital in Bangkok last week to get a new prescription and then new lens made. All went ok and I ordered the lens at the in house shop. Two days later I received a phone call from them: "your frames are too big, cannot make new lens". WTF? I politely told him that he better find another lab to make the lens, as the existing lens (progressive type), were made in Bangkok!
"I call you back"! I have not heard anymore from them, so it looks to me like it was just a try on.
May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil know`s you`re dead!
If you have a trip to Hong Kong planned, wait until then to get new glasses. It seems just about every HK kid needs glasses by about age 10, and there are quality, no nonsense shops everywhere at reasonable prices. Sure you can go the expensive designer route but plenty of other options. Resting on my nose as we speak are a pair of reading glasses I got in 1990 and they are still going strong except the arm screws have been replaced with rivets, and stronger glass lenses installed about 8 years ago. Pete
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source
I've always used Top Charoen over the last 10 years, in Pattaya, Khon Kaen, Hua Hin, Pranburi, and now there's even one in Paknampran.
They issued me with a customer card some time ago and whenever I need a small repair or straightening done I produce my card and they do it free of charge.
The only problem I've had is if the technician isn't here and then I might have to wait a day so.
If they pulled the "mai dai" stroke with me, I think I'd just tell them that they would never sell me a pair of glasses again!
I've always had good service from that place on Chomsin/Detch. I've lost count of the times my specs have fallen to pieces and they always remember me - "what's the point of expensive frames if I'm going to be back in here within a year?"
I always get out of there with new frames for about 600THB.
If a screw sheers off, then the place at the crossroads of the night market is good. They don't even allow me to give some money to charity (maybe the blind??). They just do it for free.
