Jump to content

Optical shops in Thailand question.


thaibeachlovers

Recommended Posts

Are there really "so many" in Thailand? Comparede to where?

There are a lot of ethnic Chinese in Bangkok and they tend to have other than optimal vision for one thing, and if there were not enough consumer demand to support "so many" shops, then they would not stay in busi9ness.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very many! Compared to all places that I have seen in Europe.

Two shops of the same Top Charoen chain on both sides of a small upcountry town mainstreet about 60 meters apart.

Crazy! Can not remember to have seen a customer there.

In the same small town there are about half a dozen of these chain shops.

A quote (Hua Hin):

6 Top Charoen stores in a 0.385 square kilometer area!

http://www.qnap.com/index.php?lang=en&sn=5166 :

Introduction
TOP CHAROEN, established in 1961, is a famous eyewear shop that has more than 2,489 branches in Thailand.

The biggest German optical chain ("Fielmann") has 671 branches!

2489 branches: CRAZY!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It is curious how many people they employ too. Even up here in Back of Beyond land, any decent sized town has at least two, every Lotus, Home Pro has one attached, and they all employ what seems like at least 5 pretty gals in those matching uniforms sitting around doing...well I know not what! I go into my local one every 3 months to buy my contact lenses, and I always feel I'm imposing on them, ya know taken them away from doing their makeup (again), crusin their phone etc. Maybe this is all some devious nationwide drug pushing, money laundering operation!....Ingenious LOL

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I bought a pair of Ray Bans in Chiang Rai and they were over $120 cheaper than in Perth. The sales girl was very happy ! Got some good commission. She said that they had sold nothing for 2 days and this was the first pair of good quality Ray Bans they had ever sold. Only had 1 pair in the shop.

I just hope they weren't knock-offs - I tried to get RayBan to honor their life time warranty on a pair, the hinge had broken clean off - they sent them back to me unrepaired claiming they were not authentic...........I don't buy expensive sunglasses or any eyeware in SE Asia anymore.

Yes I had a Certificate of Authenticity from the RayBan Shop I bought them in on Silom. angry.png.pagespeed.ce.Cla6z9sEn6.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My wife's sister about nine months ago closed down her optician's premises to go live on another province. She brought three boxes of new spectacle frames to her other sisters house. Most of the family and friends just chose a pair of frames so next they could go and get new glasses without buying new frames. These frames still had the price tags on which were pretty expensive. I chose a pair myself and went and got tested for new lenses at a optician's. When they asked if I wanted new frames I produced my own new frames. They did not appear to be upset at this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok i will tell you why.

It's actually one of the most controversial and well kept secret here in Teyeland, but you have to know it.

It's all a cover up so they can blame all the so many things they manage to <deleted> up nationwide on poor eyesight.

Now you know it.


Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a relative who is an optometrist by trade, has two "no name" (non franchised) glasses shops about 100 meters from each other, and I think I've seen maybe 100 customers total in his shop over the course of 12-15 years. If there are ever two customers in the shop at the same time... it's the equivalent of Black Friday in the US.

He stays in business by owning the 16 or so shophouses in between the two shops in addition to the two shops. When a family member says something like "wouldn't you like to have 2 more shops worth of rental income?" ... he says something like "I like running a shop." or "I like talking to people."

:-)

Edited by Heng
Link to comment
Share on other sites

All I can say is that if someone could sell frames and sunglesses at a price even just 50% over to what they cost overseas, and have a nice selection, including brands that are great but unknown in Thailamd, would make millions... or be killed in the process.

Edited by paz
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Are there really "so many" in Thailand? Comparede to where?

There are a lot of ethnic Chinese in Bangkok and they tend to have other than optimal vision for one thing, and if there were not enough consumer demand to support "so many" shops, then they would not stay in busi9ness.

You are sadly delusional. The overabundance of the larger optical (chain) shops is due to only one reason and one reason only--money laundering

If only ten percent of the shops actually made a profit it would be considered (as) an epic failure. That's the whole purpose of money laundering...

Edited by cloghead
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The same pair of prescription glasses...

In a chain stores frequented by tourist and "rich" Thai people.......2000 without frame

In a local no-chain store recommended by smart Thai people..........500 without frame

In village's market stands with optical equipment..............................100 without frame

In street markets..fixed graduation......................................................50 with cheap frame

The same price proportions for the frames.

In China...the supplier....100 times cheaper.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It appears to be common speculation among the locals that a particularly large optical chain is making money elsewhere. Whenever i've asked people they've have referred to it as a laundry although I'm still to see a washing machine in their shops.

I believe questions have been raised in the past with the chain owners who claim their main business is from selling wholesale quantities to less well off people, Again I've still to meet any less well off people who have obtained glasses from them.

I was less than satisfied with my one and only dealings with this particular optical chain. After a week of waiting the lenses I ordered were substandard and cut too small for the frames.

I now deal with a small family owned "Nice Optical" shop near Siam Square who i can't praise enough. That little shop is always full of customers and their quality service is professional and fast.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Are there really "so many" in Thailand? Comparede to where?

There are a lot of ethnic Chinese in Bangkok and they tend to have other than optimal vision for one thing, and if there were not enough consumer demand to support "so many" shops, then they would not stay in busi9ness.

You are sadly delusional. The overabundance of the larger optical (chain) shops is due to only one reason and one reason only--money laundering

If only ten percent of the shops actually made a profit it would be considered (as) an epic failure. That's the whole purpose of money laundering...

Well, not quite. It's perfectly practical to launder money in an already profitable business. The key is the 'difficult to quantify' inventory aspect. You can ring up glasses all day long.... it's difficult to 'count' how much glass or plastic is being consumed or has been consumed in the production process. Come to think of it, just about any business here works because people rarely keep receipts for anything so you can generate as many as you need.

:-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Who cares? The TC staff wear white pencil skirts on even-numbered days and there's a tall one working at their 'Avenue' outlet in Pattaya who not only wears her skirts ultra short, but she wears 'sheer-to-the-top' pantyhose and rides the back of her fellow staffers motorcycle sidesaddle.

I will be off to get my eyes 'tested' again around 9PM tonight!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Who cares? The TC staff wear white pencil skirts on even-numbered days and there's a tall one working at their 'Avenue' outlet in Pattaya who not only wears her skirts ultra short, but she wears 'sheer-to-the-top' pantyhose and rides the back of her fellow staffers motorcycle sidesaddle.

I will be off to get my eyes 'tested' again around 9PM tonight!

Yes, even with my bad eyes I have noticed that they seem to employ women of a certain attractiveness category to work in their establishments. Certainly beats the elderly male optician in the shop I used in London, LOL..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

http://www.qnap.com/index.php?lang=en&sn=5166 :

Introduction[/size]

TOP CHAROEN, established in 1961, is a famous eyewear shop that has more than 2,489 branches in Thailand.[/size]

The biggest German optical chain ("Fielmann") has 671 branches!

2489 branches: CRAZY!

Maybe less, a few Villages down from me one of there shops closed last week, yesterday was total empty

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re Post 49 that shop has now re-opened but as a pet Food shop !! .... Pet Food shop yet another... so on a small road the 1st 1 KM now has 7 Pet Food Shops !!

So not only Optical Shops, one has to be amazed and the amount of.. Barber/hair cut places, Bakers/cake shops.. Dog Food shops, Chemists... appears as fast as one place closes down another 2 spring up selling the same.

Totally off topic........ but 10 years ago when I had my house built, the 7 km from main road to Village was a unmade dirt road, with just a few odd building in this 7 KM... now road is tarmac, lot of project have sprung up, and within the past 3 years 100s well with what they are still building more than 1.000 shop houses and blocks, and there still building, many 3 years later are still empty, but just what will be sold in all these new shops ?

New since I have lived in this area a Tops appeared now empty, 108 mini Mart, now empty.. 7x 7/11, 4x Tesco Express. all appear doing well. 3x CP Frozen Foods. the newest one in the past 18 months have never seen a customer inside is bigger using 4x shop units !

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.




×
×
  • Create New...