Where to get an eye test, prescription glasses and contact lenses in Chonburi City (Mueang Chonburi) — TOP Charoen Optical, Eye Class Optical and Tai Fah Karn Waen at Central Plaza Chonburi, Samitivej Chonburi Hospital's Eye Center, and honest costs in baht and dollars, plus why Pattaya and Sriracha have deeper options.
Chonburi City -- the quieter provincial capital, distinct from Pattaya's tourist strip and the Japanese-manufacturing hub of Sriracha further north -- has a real, if smaller, optical scene concentrated at Central Plaza Chonburi: TOP Charoen Optical, Eye Class Optical and Tai Fah Karn Waen all operate branches there, alongside a TOP Charoen branch at Robinson Lifestyle Chonburi and an OWNDAYS store. For medical eye care beyond a routine glasses prescription, Samitivej Chonburi Hospital runs a dedicated Eye Center, with the public Chonburi Hospital as a lower-cost alternative. Below is where to go, what it costs in baht, and when Pattaya or Sriracha's deeper benches are worth the drive.
TOP Charoen (แว่นท็อปเจริญ), one of Thailand's largest optical chains with over 70 years in the business, runs branches at both Central Plaza Chonburi and Robinson Lifestyle Chonburi. Expect a free eye test with a purchase, a wide frame selection and staff used to walk-in customers -- the most straightforward option for most foreign residents in Chonburi City.
Eye Class Optical operates a branch inside Central Plaza Chonburi offering professional eye exams and a range of frames, alongside TOP Charoen as one of the mall's optical tenants -- a second easy, no-appointment option in the same building.
A long-running Thai optical retailer with a first-floor branch inside Central Plaza Chonburi, offering glasses, contact lenses and eye tests -- a good independent alternative to the bigger national chains in the same mall.
OWNDAYS, the Japanese eyewear chain known for same-day glasses and simple, fixed pricing, operates a store in Chonburi per its official store locator. Exact mall or floor can change, so confirm the current branch location via the OWNDAYS store finder before visiting.
Samitivej Chonburi Hospital, on Sukhumvit Road near Central Plaza Chonburi, runs a dedicated Eye Center for ophthalmology -- cataracts, glaucoma, retinal conditions and other medical eye care beyond a routine glasses prescription. This is the go-to for anything requiring a specialist rather than an optical-shop eye test.
The province's main public regional hospital runs an eye clinic used mostly by Thai residents and budget-conscious long-stayers -- cheaper than Samitivej but with longer queues and less English support.
Indicative shop prices — actual costs vary by frame, lens brand and prescription. USD figures are approximate (around ฿36 = $1); frames and lenses are usually priced separately, so confirm with a written quote before ordering.
| Item | THB | USD (approx) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic eye test | Free - ฿300 | $0 - 8 | Usually free with a glasses purchase at mall chains |
| Complete single-vision glasses | ฿1,500 - 4,000 | $42 - 110 | Frame + standard lenses; often same-day |
| Progressive (varifocal) glasses | ฿4,000 - 12,000 | $110 - 335 | Depends heavily on lens brand and design |
| Lens upgrade (anti-reflective / blue-light) | ฿500 - 2,500 | $14 - 70 | Added to base lens price |
| High-index / thin lenses | ฿1,500 - 5,000 | $42 - 140 | For stronger prescriptions; per pair |
| Prescription sunglasses | ฿2,000 - 6,000 | $56 - 170 | Tinted or polarised prescription lenses |
| Monthly contact lenses (box) | ฿400 - 1,200 | $11 - 33 | Per box; daily disposables cost more |
| Full medical eye exam (Samitivej Chonburi Eye Center) | ฿1,000 - 3,000 | $28 - 85 | Ophthalmologist consult; more with imaging |
TOP Charoen, Eye Class and Tai Fah Karn Waen at Central Plaza Chonburi are walk-in, no-appointment optical shops with generally workable English for routine purchases. Samitivej Chonburi Hospital's Eye Center takes phone or walk-in bookings with English-speaking staff for medical eye care; the public Chonburi Hospital has less consistent English support.
Routine eyewear and eye tests are almost always paid out of pocket at the optical shops. If your retirement-visa or LTR insurance policy includes an optical or ophthalmology allowance, Samitivej Chonburi Hospital is the most practised at direct billing given its private-network ties.
If you already have a current prescription from home, bring it -- any of the mall optical shops will work from it. If not, ask for a printed copy of your eye-test results after any exam so you can re-order lenses or contacts later.
Chonburi City (Mueang Chonburi), the provincial capital, has a smaller and quieter optical scene than Pattaya's tourist strip or the Japanese-manufacturing hub of Sriracha further north. What's here at Central Plaza Chonburi and Samitivej Chonburi Hospital covers routine glasses and general eye care well; for a much wider selection of optical chains or more specialist ophthalmology options, Pattaya and Sriracha (each roughly 30-45 minutes away) have deeper benches.
Simple single-vision glasses are often ready the same day or within 24-48 hours at the mall optical shops; progressive or specialist lenses take a few days. Contact lenses and solutions are widely stocked at Central Plaza and pharmacies across the city.
There is no rule tied to any visa category -- retirement (O-A/O-X), LTR, DTV, marriage and Non-B visa holders all use the same shops and hospitals and pay the same way.
Central Plaza Chonburi hosts several optical shops in one building -- TOP Charoen Optical, Eye Class Optical and Tai Fah Karn Waen -- plus a TOP Charoen branch at Robinson Lifestyle Chonburi and an OWNDAYS store. All are walk-in with no appointment needed and typically offer a free eye test with a glasses purchase.
Samitivej Chonburi Hospital, on Sukhumvit Road near Central Plaza Chonburi, runs a dedicated Eye Center for ophthalmology -- cataracts, glaucoma and other medical eye conditions. The public Chonburi Hospital also runs an eye clinic at lower cost, with longer queues and less English support.
A complete pair of single-vision glasses typically runs ฿1,500-4,000 (about USD 42-110), progressive/varifocal glasses ฿4,000-12,000 depending on the lens, and a basic eye test is usually free with a purchase at the mall optical shops. Frames and lenses are priced separately, so ask for a written quote before ordering.
No. Chonburi City is the quieter provincial capital, with a smaller optical and eye-care scene than Pattaya's tourist strip or Sriracha's corporate-expat corridor. Central Plaza Chonburi and Samitivej Chonburi Hospital cover routine glasses and general eye care well, but for a wider selection of chains or more specialist ophthalmology, Pattaya and Sriracha, each roughly 30-45 minutes away, have deeper options.
No. There is no visa rule tied to eyewear or eye care. DTV, LTR, retirement, Non-B, Elite and tourist visitors all use the same optical shops and hospitals and pay out of pocket, and Thai residency or a work permit is not required to get an eye test or order glasses.
Primary and official sources are cited above. Government rules, fees and procedures in Thailand change over time and vary by office; always confirm current requirements with the relevant authority before relying on them. BAANLYY never takes paid placement in editorial content.
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