Sorry, this is my first post for real. Total newbie at making threads so I’m gonna write messy ’cause it’s been bugging me. I want to vent and also hear what you all think.

I’m 26, freelance in Hua Hin doing content/social media for several clients. Only one of them looked like a long-term gig so I took it about four months ago. First month was fine — they paid on time and we had a schedule of two deliveries a week.

Second month in, problems started. They message insanely late. Like past midnight sometimes, or around 10–11pm
I live in Hua Hin, wake up at 7am to make coffee and feed my little cat before work). Then they’ll say urgent changes needed, has to go live tomorrow. They brief me at 5pm then expect fixes done tonight. I’m exhausted.

This client plays boss hard — explains stuff so detailed it’s like they’re writing on the drafts with a blue pen — but then changes the brief all the time. For example they tell me tone should be “friendly but professional.” I work on it for a week, then they say they want it more “sweet and sappy” and send examples that don’t match what we talked about. I could’ve handled it if they’d said that up front, but they keep changing things and only give me two or three hours to fix stuff, so my pieces lose continuity.

The worst is timing and compensation. From the start they said it’s ongoing and they’d give steady work, but they never confirmed actual hours or hourly rate. I suggested if they want edits after 8pm there should be overtime pay. They replied “no need to add.” Honestly... what? I tried to be flexible, but when I refuse late-night fixes they send passive-aggressive messages like “don’t ask too many questions” or “if you can’t do it say so.” That pressure builds up; I keep it in my head, sleep only six hours, wake up and fix everything T_T

Some of my remote teammates tell me to tough it out: “hang in there, it’ll end” or “if the client asks, just do it.” But I feel like I’m just running after them to avoid angering the client and it’s wrecking my mental health. I want to do quality work, not slap things together and keep fixing later.

The thing that made me snap was two weeks ago. I sent a content set saying it could go live tomorrow. Client read it and asked for everything rewritten because “it doesn’t fit the company image,” even though I had the brief and examples. They didn’t say what exactly didn’t fit. When I called, they answered briefly: “just feels off.” End of conversation. So I had to spend the whole night redoing it from scratch while other tasks piled up. Couldn’t even breathe.

So now I’m wondering if I should’ve set conditions from the start — like extra fees for edits after 8pm or a confirmed sign-off on briefs before I start. But I’m scared if I say it straight they’ll fire me or find someone who’ll put up with it. I’m a freelancer; this client’s monthly pay is decent for me
not six figures but enough). Losing them would affect my Hua Hin expenses.

Am I being too sensitive? Is this normal for freelancing now? I try to set boundaries but there’s no long-term contract. It’s hard to tell myself what to do. Boundary-setting is important, but I’m afraid of losing a paying client and being replaced by someone who works 24/7.

A freelancer friend told me to clearly charge overtime, but when they asked the client reacted badly right away. So now I’m stuck thinking maybe I want more money but I’m scared to lose the job — or should I just tolerate it until it ends? Not sure at all lol.

Any advice? Have you all experienced this? How do you set boundaries with a client when you want to stay a quality freelancer but don’t want to be crushed by time pressure and mental stress? Should I stop taking work from them and look for new clients, or talk to them plainly about working hours and pay first? I’m so lost, please help.

Sorry again for the long messy post. If anyone has gone through this please share. What should I do?