General Reports

Anyone have any firsthand experience with an optician in BKK? I just lost/had stolen a pair of perscription sunglasses in a TJ bar and since I'll be in BKK in a few weeks thought I might wait and replace them there.

[QUOTE=Rjsss212]Anyone have any firsthand experience with an optician in BKK? I just lost/had stolen a pair of perscription sunglasses in a TJ bar and since I'll be in BKK in a few weeks thought I might wait and replace them there.[/QUOTE]

Top Charoen they are all over Thailand. I used the one on Soi 22 with great results over the years. It is a chain store but the service on Soi 22 and the results were better then at home for me.

The other one is Waltz at Siam Paragon. Those are the only two I know and I liked them both actually. But there are a few on the second floor of Paragon I just not used them all.

I know there are some at MBK also. Opticians are like Dental clinics in BKK they are all over the place....

Has anyone been able to use their Thai prepaid phone line (please specify which provider) abroad to make/receive calls/sms in either Cambodia, Phillipines or Indonesia?? If so, how do you activate it or is it automatic?

Thanks.

[QUOTE=Egy Monger]Has anyone been able to use their Thai prepaid phone line (please specify which provider) abroad to make/receive calls/sms in either Cambodia, Phillipines or Indonesia?? If so, how do you activate it or is it automatic?

Thanks.[/QUOTE]

AIS works in PI for sure but is expensive but hard to refill.

[QUOTE=Tansak KTV]AIS works in PI for sure but is expensive but hard to refill.[/QUOTE]

Did you have to manually activate roaming by calling the provider or did you just go to Phillipines and find out that it works automaticly?

[QUOTE=Egy Monger]Has anyone been able to use their Thai prepaid phone line (please specify which provider) abroad to make/receive calls/sms in either Cambodia, Phillipines or Indonesia?? If so, how do you activate it or is it automatic?Thanks.[/QUOTE]I use 12Go and it did NOT work in Jakarta. Can't comment about the other countries.

[QUOTE=Tansak KTV]Top Charoen they are all over Thailand. I used the one on Soi 22 with great results over the years. It is a chain store but the service on Soi 22 and the results were better then at home for me.

The other one is Waltz at Siam Paragon. Those are the only two I know and I liked them both actually. But there are a few on the second floor of Paragon I just not used them all.

I know there are some at MBK also. Opticians are like Dental clinics in BKK they are all over the place....[/QUOTE]Rjsss212

unfortunately I cannot second KTV's remarks. My experience with the optician in Soi 22 was on the negative side. Though I provided him with a current prescription from my US doc and a locally performed eye exam the new glasses didnt work for me. As I need bifocals this had happened before also in the States but rather then to get the glasses redone for free ( definitely not my fault that the glasses werent ok ) the optician insisted that I would have to pay again if I want them to be redone. I declined as we were talking 12000Baht and recorded it as 'experience'.

Generally the cost for prescription glasses here inThailand are much cheaper than in the US or Europe but there is also a flipside to it.

[QUOTE=Tansak KTV]AIS works in PI for sure but is expensive but hard to refill.[/QUOTE]Same here, my AIS's 1-2Call prepaid works pretty much everywhere in Asia (and stateside), although it's costs an arm and leg per minute. Rates from Asia start at B30 to call Thailand, B40 elsewhere. SMS starts at B15 upward.

[QUOTE=Egy Monger]Did you have to manually activate roaming by calling the provider or did you just go to Phillipines and find out that it works automaticly?[/QUOTE]

[url]http://www.gsmadvance.com/services/Chapter4_eng.pdf[/url]

[url]http://translate.google.fm/translate?hl=en&sl=th&u=http://www.roaming.ais.co.th/&ei=LG_8Sqr9BZL8sQOS-dyHAQ&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAoQ7gEwAA&prev=/search%3Fq%3DAIS%2Broaming%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG[/url]

Those should help you scroll down the first one....

It's automatic for me everyplace I've been.... AIS is 12Call

Pattaya or Phuket for Christmas / New Years? What's better for quality off women, price, beach party atmosphere etc.

Thanks,

Johnnybraz.

DTAC happy dial *118*9# then dial.

Works for me in Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam

[QUOTE=JohnnyBraz]Pattaya or Phuket for Christmas / New Years? What's better for quality off women, price, beach party atmosphere etc.

Thanks,

Johnnybraz.[/QUOTE]

Phuket is always better for beach quality and always more expensive. Pattaya is always better for women as far as quantity and price. As for women quality, you can find many gems among the WGs in either place - up to you.

You will pay more in Phuket - of that, I am certain. It might be worth it for you, or it might not. Only you can make that decision. If you are seriously considering Phuket, I might add Koh Samui (Lamai or Chaweng beaches) to the list. I prefer it to Phuket as far as an upscale beach resort with plenty of companionship available. But for me, I am spending most of my time in Pattaya next trip, because this trip for me is all about getting laid very well, many times on a constrained budget.

[QUOTE=Mistral66]Rjsss212

unfortunately I cannot second KTV's remarks. My experience with the optician in Soi 22 was on the negative side. Though I provided him with a current prescription from my US doc and a locally performed eye exam the new glasses didnt work for me. As I need bifocals this had happened before also in the States but rather then to get the glasses redone for free ( definitely not my fault that the glasses werent ok ) the optician insisted that I would have to pay again if I want them to be redone. I declined as we were talking 12000Baht and recorded it as 'experience'.

Generally the cost for prescription glasses here inThailand are much cheaper than in the US or Europe but there is also a flipside to it.[/QUOTE]

I did some quite thorough research, i.e. compare quality, service and price earlier this year and finally bought top quality Hoya multifocals, including frame and a magnetic polarizing sunglass clip for THB 8000 at "Modern Optical" on Suhumvit between Asok and Soi 14.
In Germany, we pay the equivalent of 11000 THB for one single Hoya multifocal lens!
You have to remember, that all the chains, Top Charoen, Modern Optical and others, are franchises with more or less independant shop operators. They all order their lenses from Hoya, Rodenstock and others.
But it is the optometrist's skill, which determines if the glasses work for you or not.
This means not only the correct prescription, but also the placement of the lenses in the frame (optical vs. mechanical axis, pupilar distance etc.)
I found that some of the clerks, (even at Top Charoen) were total morons, who could only read from the flyers. God help you, if you get one of those.
Btw. Hoya lenses (Japanese) are the most common in LOS, but you can get Rodenstock (definitely better quality, especially for strong, high dioptries lenses) at about 50% premium, BUT long deliveries. Hoya multifocals take 3-4 days.
I made a deal UPFRONT with the optometrist/shop manager, that if the glasses did not fit (optically), there would be no charge, and he knew, that I did not have time to wait for a second attempt.
This time I am going back for another, slightly stronger pair with Rodenstock lenses, right at the start of my SE Asia trip.

[QUOTE=Cadjan]DTAC happy dial *118*9# then dial.

Works for me in Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam[/QUOTE]

Thanks, but any prior arrangements before to activate roaming???

Anyone stayed in the expat hotel in patong beach?

Phuket?

Is it girl friendly?