Eye Glasses - Ho Chi Minh City

Maybe say what area of Saigon you're in will help to get replies.

I am very close to District 1.

I haven't lived in Saigon for many years but there used to be an Englsih speaking person at the shop diagonally opposite Ben Thanh markets heading down Le Loi street towards the city.

If you think you need to see an ophthalmologist for more than just a prescription, the specialty hospital at  611/2, Điện Biên Phủ has English speaking doctors.  At intake you go into a separate fast track also available to locals for a small cost.  The retinal specialist that I saw was excellent and people in the waiting room told my wife that he is reputedly the best in the country for retinal work.

You can also do regular checkups for correction there and use the in-house optician for glasses, as my wife did.  I would trust them a lot more than the street corner places.

Thanks a lot for your valuable information.

Farshid

hello, is it true that prescription glasses are cheaper in Vietnam than Thailand ? Thanks.

I've gotten several pairs, one from a fancy eyeglasses shop (Mắt Kính) in D1 that has closed, and two from a small shop in D5. All under $100, and that is with fairly strong lenses, astigmatism, and the last ones, smooth bifocals. All the name brand frames, but certainly Chinese imitations, escape the Luxottica monopoly! I don't think you can do better in Thailand. Ready in 1 day, maybe 2.

There are mắt kính everywhere.
Mine: Google Mắt Kính Á Châu.  You want the one on Tran Hung Dao, big street that goes down to D5. The clerks don't speak English but the optometrist does.

Just had my glasses done a few months ago for 1.2M ($50 or so) after I scratched the heck out of my authentic Ralph Lauren.  The cost was for eye exam, progressive bifocal and farsighted lenses (vastly different strength on each lens) in a knockoff Bvlgari frame.  It was readied for pick up the following day, but as I didn't want to stay and wait in Saigon, they sent them to VT on a shuttle bus.  No extra charge, just a small tip to the driver.

This was a one-man local shop in Phu Nhuan; the optometrist was trained overseas and spoke English with fluent American idioms.

hello, yes $50 is the price in Thailand also. So Vietnam is not cheaper but similar. Anybody paying more just knows nothing and seems happy with it !

BangkokStick wrote:

hello, yes $50 is the price in Thailand also. So Vietnam is not cheaper but similar. Anybody paying more just knows nothing and seems happy with it !

That's very judgmental of you.  Would you say every tailor should charge the same price for the same custom-made shirt, and anyone who pays more "knows nothing and seems happy with it"?

My seafood vendor charges more than everyone else in the same market but she's the only vendor I trust, and her regular customers are willing to pay her price every week for the cleanest and freshest seafood in the city.  We're not ignorami, I assure you.

Gobot bought his glasses at a shop with employees who were paid salary and benefits while I bought mine at a one-man shop with minimal overhead.  Gobot's shop was located in a more expensive district while mine was only known by word of mouth.  With astigmatism, Gobot's glasses required more work than mine, and perhaps his frames were fancier or sturdier than mine.  Who knows, his optometrist could've been better educated than mine, or at least, graduated with a higher GPA from a better school.  All of those factors added up.

There's a thing in life called quality, and people who know much more than nothing also know that better quality often goes hand in hand with higher price whether the service and products are made in Thailand or Vietnam.

Thank you to have confirmed what I said !

BangkokStick wrote:

Thank you to have confirmed what I said !

Did I?  Did I really confirm what you said, that's "anybody paying more just knows nothing"? A bit of honing may benefit your comprehension if that's how you understood my detailed comment.