Manufacturing of Optical Lenses in Thailand

Optical Lenses' Manufacturing around the world.
Source : Thai Optical Group, and review in The Nation newspaper.

Whether you buy your new glasses in Thailand or elsewhere, there is a fair chance that the optical lenses you wear, have been manufactured in Thailand. Thailand produces more than 20 % of the close to a billion optical lenses made each year. Besides local independent manufacturers, many foreign countries have factories located in Thailand. These include : Hoya Lens (Japan), Essilor Manufacturing (France), Rodenstock (Germany), Solarlens (Italy), Indo (Spain) and Transitions (U.S.A.). Local total production capacity is 200 million optical lenses.
A known local enterprise is Thai Optical Group, which produces optical lenses under its own brand names, and as an original-equipment-manufacturere (OEM) for other companies and brands. Thai Optical Group has an annual capacity at present of 27 million lenses.

Most of the raw material needed to produce optical lenses, has to be imported into the country, and has to be transported in refrigerated containers. The larger orders the country generates, creates lower costs per unit of production.

Latest Update ( data provided by International Opticians Association )

• Thailand has a market share of 22 % in production of optical lenses worldwide.
• Between 800 and 900 million optical lenses produced each year.
• We can confirm, because we notice it every day : More than 15,000 optical shops in Thailand.

Actually, a major conference was supposed to take place in Thailand in June 2020, but was cancelled because of the Covid Pandemic. Prior conferences (Silmo Bangkok) happened in 2019 at Impact, catering to Thai and international Eyewear producers.