LARGE opticians?

honestly, forget the malls for a sec. there's a place called "charoen optical" near bts on nut, it's been there forever and they've got this wall of frames from japan and korea that barely fit anyone with a normal skull. not fancy, but the old dude running it will spend an hour with you, no rush. also, if you're ever in silom, "mega optical" on the ground floor of silom complex has a decent asian-fit section, mostly from alain mikli and lindberg, those run narrow and look sharp. i'd skip the teen section entirely, the hinges feel cheap after a year anyway. bridders is still the gold standard for service, but these two have more hidden gems for the small-headed among us.

arrow_drop_up 5 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

check out owndays at siam paragon, they stock a ton of asian fit frames that run narrow. not as curated as bridders but the range is huge and they'll adjust the nose pads for free. also try the optical shop on the 3rd floor of central embassy, smaller but they carry some japanese brands like masunaga that fit smaller heads well. if ur up for a trip, mrt to huai khwang, there's a little shop called "kob eyeglasses" near the soi 10 exit, old school place with racks of vintage-ish frames, they know their stuff for narrow faces. bridders is still my fav for service but these two have more options in the small size zone.

arrow_drop_up 4 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

Krua Dok Mai Kao is solid but I've always found their som tam a bit tame on the pla ra. If you want the real funky version, try the shophouse spots along Soi Udomsuk 26, near the night market end. They pound it fresh with fermented fish that'll clear your sinuses, and it's like 60 baht. Different style from the On Nut places, more Lao-leaning.

arrow_drop_up 5 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

for som tam specifically i'd say the Isaan spots in Chatuchak are underrated, weekdays only though since the weekend crowd ruins the vibe. there's a stall near gate 2 that does tam pa with fermented bamboo shoots, super sour and funky, not something you see much in On Nut. if you're already heading north for Or Tor Kor anyway its worth the detour.

arrow_drop_up 4 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

honestly the som tam at Krua Dok Mai Kao is good but what got me hooked is their nam prik pla raa dip with the raw veggies, that funk hits way harder than the papaya does. think most people sleep on it cuz they just order the som tam and gai yang. also pro tip, go before noon on weekdays, after that teh pla ra gets milder cuz they batch it for the lunch rush

arrow_drop_up 2 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply