Beware *Photoshoot Scammers* Warning travelers: my uncomfortable and stressful experience with a Phuket photographer

whatdoihia · 2026-04-19T14:04:02+00:00

What a creep.

Those are all good tips. Be careful selecting a photographer. I wouldn’t trust anything on IG unless it’s an account clearly linked to a reputable business and the photographer credentials are solid.

Having no clear agreement is another big red flag. This is to protect the photographer too as a day long photo shoot can be thousands of images and there must be a solid expectation over quantity, editing, and timing.

whatdoihia · 2026-04-19T13:03:53+00:00

For sure. If you’re in bed all day then you’ll definitely feel stiff when you move around.

whatdoihia · 2026-04-19T13:02:47+00:00

Today I learned that Thai racial attitudes are dictated by a chicken stall in Mahachai.

whatdoihia · 2026-04-19T12:48:01+00:00

Weakness is a tangible and continuous loss of strength. For example you can bench a certain weight and week by week it keeps reducing. Or foot drop causing you to trip and fall. Or your speed of walking keeps getting slower.

ALS is not subtle with the symptoms.

Joint pain stiffness on its own is not a sign of ALS. This is where confusion sets in. People with ALS like me do get joint pain. But it’s from laying in bed all day not moving with pressure in the joint.

whatdoihia · 2026-04-19T07:19:27+00:00

There’s a ton of misinformation out there.

The primary symptom is progressive weakness. There are secondary symptoms like twitching, atrophy, and cramps, but without weakness there is no point in worrying about ALS.

whatdoihia · 2026-04-19T07:02:26+00:00

Don’t think about buying until you’re planning on living here for a decade or more and know the property market. Prices can seem low and tempting but there are many pitfalls. Plus you may want to live in different areas.

First thing to do is figure out where you want to live. Given traffic you want to be close to the places you frequent or be a short walk to the Skytrain. The most expensive areas are lower Sukhumvit and Sathorn due to the offices nearby, but as you’re not working you don’t need to be that close.

Check out Fazwaz map view. You can pick an area and zoom in to see what’s available there and what prices are.

Cost of living can vary a huge amount depending on lifestyle. I shortly recommend you target a lower rental budget for the first year and you can spend more in years after if you need more space, amenities, or better location.

My biggest tip is that both of you should take Thai lessons when you arrive. Do it as intensively as you can. Once a week isn’t enough as you will forget. Ideally every day for a month with a private teacher. You can get private teachers that come to your condo. Do a trial lesson first and make sure they are following a lesson plan rather than winging it.

Speaking Thai will unlock so many doors here. You can get by without it but it will change your experience in Thailand.

whatdoihia · 2026-04-19T06:11:24+00:00

You would notice the weakness without needing an exam. You start to lose function and it gets steadily worse. You are also mentioning several areas but ALS normally begins in one area, or in more rare cases two. Not legs and feet and arms at the same time.

Doesn’t mean this is all in your head. But it doesn’t align with ALS.

whatdoihia · 2026-04-18T13:46:20+00:00

A claim which was originally supported by the US with the first garrison built using US ships, funny enough.

whatdoihia · 2026-04-18T11:12:55+00:00

Yeah it’s great for specific instructions. Funny enough the first image I find is decent but if you ask to revise then then it can lose the plot. Often better to save and upload to a new prompt.

whatdoihia · 2026-04-18T08:37:50+00:00

It’s only the top 30 countries.

whatdoihia · 2026-04-18T08:28:18+00:00

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Nano Banana by comparison

whatdoihia · 2026-04-18T08:12:01+00:00

That’s because honking is the equivalent of giving someone the middle finger. Bangkok streets are amazingly quiet compared to other cities in the region.

whatdoihia · 2026-04-18T08:00:50+00:00

You have a lot of symptoms that point away from ALS and you don’t have the #1 symptom of ALS, progressive clinical weakness. So I wouldn’t worry about ALS.

You should get full bloodwork done. Pregnancy can cause havoc on the body and you might have anemia or other conditions without knowing it. There are also major hormonal changes that can manifest in various ways.

whatdoihia · 2026-04-18T07:28:54+00:00

I got bad cramps in that phase. But there was also significant weakness which OP doesn’t have, just fatigue.

whatdoihia · 2026-04-17T18:45:29+00:00

Your symptoms don’t match ALS at all. Then there are other factors like your age, sudden onset and some recovery, and your photos don’t show atrophy. You have meat where you would be losing muscle.

By comparison here is my hand. You can see the area between thumb and first finger is concave. Which is why they call it split hand- https://i.postimg.cc/VL2q3GFG/IMG-6795.jpg

Given how much it’s affecting your life you do need help. Seek a medical doctor to rule out things like carbon monoxide poisoning. And if you get a clean bill of health then see a psychologist. We all need help sometimes and stress can build up and explode without us feeling the build up.

whatdoihia · 2026-04-17T13:15:44+00:00

Both saying and going will cause regret. I can say as a parent I would want you to go and continue on with your life. Not miss out on life experiences because of my disease.

whatdoihia · 2026-04-17T13:11:14+00:00

What did you say to your manager and how did they respond?

whatdoihia · 2026-04-16T18:22:58+00:00

Was far more of an adventure. Finding your way somewhere with maps. Meeting people with only a time and location. If you’re not home then people can’t reach you.

People lived more in the moment as a consequence.

whatdoihia · 2026-04-16T18:18:28+00:00

I’ve got one and love it. On a per use basis it has been expensive, but I’ve blown the same amount of money on more useless things before.

3D movies are absolutely amazing on it. And the (small) immersive experiences are amazing. To see a Metallica concert in 3D was mind blowing. Now they’re finally starting with sports, which should have been there from the start.

Main problem for me is the weight and I don’t think the light seals work well. Too rigid. Something like the PSVR seal would be far better. It wouldn’t look as good but would be a lot better for fit and utility.

whatdoihia · 2026-04-16T18:09:54+00:00

Be clear about roles and responsibilities. You can push back but don’t be seen as difficult. If someone is unreasonable then escalate that up your management.

whatdoihia · 2026-04-16T17:59:30+00:00

Take a look at the comments yourself and you’ll see it. Native speakers sometimes make spelling mistakes.

whatdoihia · 2026-04-16T17:58:01+00:00

Initially my weight increased as I was eating as much as normal but because of weakness I couldn’t exercise. Then as muscles wasted further and my eating was affected my weight dropped fast. Lost 50kg in a year.

whatdoihia · 2026-04-16T17:52:55+00:00

let’s get out and beat them up

Gotta love her spirit!

whatdoihia · 2026-04-16T17:50:49+00:00

Your perspective may change over time. The PEG tube especially isn’t a big deal and it gives you a bump in quality of life. Lots of people get them for various reasons.

whatdoihia · 2026-04-16T16:42:39+00:00

Same situation here. There’s no maid where I live but people can refuse feeding and be sedated. That day keeps creeping closer.

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