General Reports

[QUOTE=Tansak KTV]Thanks, I head to LOS for work often, not holiday or vacation, so going blind for a few days isn't an option ;) ;) of course work might be better off if I was blind.... I seriously just don't have much time available between work and GF to have any long term medical work done.

I will have knee surgery in Thailand hopefully later this year and then will have time to do more items like this.[/QUOTE]

I was back at work the next day after my Lasik surgery. Went to Bumrungrad about 17:00 on a Friday evening. Had the surgery and was home by about 21:00. Was given a sleeping pill, woke up Saturday morning and went back to Bumrungrad to have my eyes cleaned and checked. By Monday morning I was back at work and seeing perfectly. Had to sleep with these stupid eye cups for a week or so and several trips back to the doctor for checks ups; but, overall it was pretty straight forward. If you are going to have knee surgery why not kill two birds with one stone and get both done at the same time?

[QUOTE=Retired Army]I was back at work the next day after my Lasik surgery. Went to Bumrungrad about 17:00 on a Friday evening. Had the surgery and was home by about 21:00. Was given a sleeping pill, woke up Saturday morning and went back to Bumrungrad to have my eyes cleaned and checked. By Monday morning I was back at work and seeing perfectly. Had to sleep with these stupid eye cups for a week or so and several trips back to the doctor for checks ups; but, overall it was pretty straight forward. If you are going to have knee surgery why not kill two birds with one stone and get both done at the same time?[/QUOTE]

I'll second that. I was also told not to go swimming for a month and use lots of eye drops to keep them wet. My insurance paid 3.000 euros to the doctor and about 5.000 to me. That was 3 years back.
The long sight was fully corrected and the short one (reading) by half.

[QUOTE=Retired Army]If you are going to have knee surgery why not kill two birds with one stone and get both done at the same time?[/QUOTE]

That's what I mean, this trip can not do the eye surgery... when I get the knee done then I can do lots of different things as I'll be laid up for a while. Have the option of going to Thai or Manila.... hum.... know girls in both places but GF is in thai.....

I agree the Lasik process is pretty straight-forward. I had it done at Bumrungrad a few years ago.

However it was not a success. One eye was not improved at all, so I'm still wearing glasses.

Be aware that Bumrungrad will re-do the process for nothing if the result does not fall within certain parameters, but I was not told that this offer was time limited.

From memory it was 12 months.

I didn't get back to Thailand during the following year, and when I did, some 14 months later, they turned me down flat.

Read the fine print.

[QUOTE=Lama Di Bali]I agree the Lasik process is pretty straight-forward. I had it done at Bumrungrad a few years ago.

However it was not a success. One eye was not improved at all, so I'm still wearing glasses.

Be aware that Bumrungrad will re-do the process for nothing if the result does not fall within certain parameters, but I was not told that this offer was time limited.

From memory it was 12 months.

I didn't get back to Thailand during the following year, and when I did, some 14 months later, they turned me down flat.

Read the fine print.[/QUOTE]

A good doctor will examine your eyes thoroughly before doing the Lasik. If there is any chance of not getting the result he/she will let you know first. In my case I had it done in India 3 years ago and I had to go thru different eye exams for three times before the doctor said it was ok. And it cost me only $600 for both eyes.

I am afraid that the Burumgrad just wanted to make a quick buck off you.

Re Glasses,

I have purchased many at Top Charon but last year went to another place, sorry can't remember name, maby someone else can help, First optical store on the left as you enter Walking Street in Pattaya. These shops are all over Pattaya and Bangkok and were 50% or more less than Top Charon. They also offered glass lenses which Top Charon did not. I will find the name.

Cactus J

I would like to check in to a Hotel for the 7 hour Transit layover. Anyone know if the new Suvarnabhumi Airport has a Hotel attached to it?

Thanks.

Novotel very close couple of minutes, regular shuttle outside.

[QUOTE=BKKguru]I would like to check in to a Hotel for the 7 hour Transit layover. Anyone know if the new Suvarnabhumi Airport has a Hotel attached to it?

Thanks.[/QUOTE]
Every major airport has a hotel close by!

What a waste of a good opportunity for mongering on a grand scale even for just a few hours. Then could get a pill to help sleep on the plane.

I do have an occasional gik who could drive to the airport hotel if necessary I suppose.

The Optical store I was trying to think of is Beautiful Optical. They are ib both BKK abd Pattaya.

Cactus J

I think i never saw this mentioned in the forum, i am afraid of letting my laptop in the room, perhaps some hotels have a big safety box , but if i go and travel throughout Thailand, i won't find such hotels.

Should i be afraid ? Or should i expect people won't stole things in my room ?

[QUOTE=Montecristo]I think i never saw this mentioned in the forum, i am afraid of letting my laptop in the room, perhaps some hotels have a big safety box , but if i go and travel throughout Thailand, i won't find such hotels.

Should i be afraid ? Or should i expect people won't stole things in my room ?[/QUOTE]

You can make your laptop much more difficult to steal if you buy a steel cord (available at computer stores) which attaches to the machine after wrapping around a pipe or other non moveable object in your room.

All the big Thai optical chains with employees working on sales commissions are fairly sleazy, IMO. Top Charoen is the biggest and, to my mind, the worst of the bunch. Just ask any reputable optometrist what they think of the quality of the house-brand products sold there.

You'll pay more at independent shops but you'll almost certainly get better products, better service and less sales pressure.

[QUOTE=Betong]All the big Thai optical chains with employees working on sales commissions are fairly sleazy, IMO. Top Charoen is the biggest and, to my mind, the worst of the bunch. Just ask any reputable optometrist what they think of the quality of the house-brand products sold there.

You'll pay more at independent shops but you'll almost certainly get better products, better service and less sales pressure.[/QUOTE]

It depends on which branch of Top Charoen you're talking about. I shopped for years at Top Charoen on Sukhumvit soi 22; always got good service and good quality and was never once pressured to buy anything.

Good news for us Yank expats, tourists, and mongers who depend on the greenback -- The US dollar is starting to slowly creep higher finally against the Thai baht. The rate is over 33 baht to the $ today. Perhaps the dollar will rise to 40 baht again making life even cheaper for us in the LOS.