Can I Order Glasses Before I Arrive in Bangkok?

Every few days we receive an email like this: "I'm arriving in Bangkok next week. Here is my prescription. Can you start making my glasses now so I can pick them up when I land? I can pay in advance."

We understand why people ask. Your time in Bangkok is short, and having glasses waiting for you sounds efficient. But our answer is always the same, and we'd rather explain it here so you can plan your trip properly.

"Making glasses is hands-on craft work. We can't measure your face through an email, and we won't guess."

Why We Never Make Glasses Remotely

A prescription tells us how strong your lenses need to be. It doesn't tell us where the lens has to sit in front of your eye. That part is measured in person, and it matters as much as the prescription itself.

1. Your measurements are taken with the frame on your face

To make a lens work, we measure your pupillary distance (PD), the fitting height (where your pupil sits in the frame), and how the frame tilts and sits on your nose. These numbers change with every frame and every face. Many prescriptions from other countries don't list PD at all, and even when they do, fitting height can only be measured in the frame you actually choose.

2. Progressive lenses leave no room for error

A progressive lens has separate zones for distance, intermediate and reading. If the lens is placed even a few millimetres off, you end up looking through the wrong zone: things look blurry, your head tilts at odd angles, and many people feel dizzy. Strong astigmatism is similar. The axis of the correction has to line up exactly, and a frame that sits crooked can make sharp vision feel wrong.

3. We check your eyes, not just your paper

Our optometrist checks your vision at the visit before anything is ordered. Bring your prescription and your current glasses. They help us understand what you're used to, and they let us confirm the lens is right for how you'll use it.

4. The frame is adjusted to you

A "basic suitable frame" chosen from a photo rarely sits right. We fit the frame on your face, adjust it, and only then take the final measurements. Choosing a frame remotely would skip the step that makes the glasses comfortable.

How Long It Takes: 3 Days

Progressive lenses and complex prescriptions take 3 days from your fitting visit. Your exact ready date is confirmed at the shop once we've checked your eyes and you've chosen your lens and frame.

How to Plan Your Visit

1. Book a time before you travel. Message us on LINE @opxrv or call +66 92 989 7447, and tell us your arrival date and your flight time home.
2. Visit as early in your trip as you can, at least 3 days before you leave Bangkok. The visit itself takes about 60–90 minutes.
3. At the shop, we check your eyes, you try real lenses, choose your frame, and we take your measurements. You get the full price before you decide.
4. We make your glasses and every pair goes through quality control.
5. Pick up on the confirmed date. We fit the finished glasses on your face and show you how to use them.

What to bring: your current glasses, your prescription (any country, any language), and your flight details.

Where to Find Us

Optical X Vision Care Center is on the 2nd floor of Riverside Plaza, 257/6 Charoen Nakhon Rd, Bangkok, a 2-minute walk from Anantara Riverside and Avani Riverside. We're open daily, 11:00 AM–8:00 PM. If you're new to the area, our guide for hotel guests at Anantara Riverside shows the way.