WhatsApp - Auto Creates thumbnail images in DCIM Directory - Impossible to stop Hope someone can help with this.

Handset 
Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro

Precondition
Ensure that Internal Storage/DCIM it totally empty.
Or that the Internal Storage/DCIM/.thumbnails directory is totally empty.
Clear all other caches where possible including WhatsApp cache.

Description
Launch WhatsApp
Enter a conversation
Click the camera icon to launch the camera
Camera is launched and allows a picture to be take.
A gallery of recent pictures is displayed

Issue
A number of pictures appear in WhatsApp recent pictures that i do not want to appear.
In Internal Storage/DCIM/.thumbnails,  a set of thumbnails matching the pictures as displayed as recent by WhatsApp are now displayed. How do i prevent this?
When i take a new picture with the camera app. This image will appear under the automatically created ones from the .thumbnails directory. 
I have deleted the DCIM and .thumbnails folder many times. When the camera is launched from within WhatsApp the folder and thumbnails is automatically reacreated

Questions
How do i control what pictures are displayed to me when i click on the camera icon in WhatsApp. Whats App call these “Recent”
    Can it point WhatsApp to only look at the DCIM directory on my SD Card?
How do i prevent the old thumbnails reappearing the in Internal Storage/DCIM/.thumbnails directory when the camera app is launched from WhatsApp?
Other suggestions.

Kind Reagrds

Richard
How do i control what pictures are displayed to me when i click on the camera icon in WhatsApp. Whats App call these “Recent” Can it point WhatsApp to only look at the DCIM directory on my SD Card? 


After installing WhatsApp, you allow it the permissions to use the camera and your files. Pictures are usualy saved in the DCIM folder. Thus, when you want to take a picture with WhatsApp using the camera, WhatsApp, due to the access to your storage, displays pictures from the default folder where pictures are stored (even though that is not the folder where WhatsApp stores its pictures) plus other locations. What follows is the creation of thumbnails (if they were not already created) in case you would like to view/use other images.

Unless you deny both camera and storage permissions, you have no control. Plus denying the storage permission will also prevent you from using other files not just pictures.


  How do i prevent the old thumbnails reappearing the in Internal Storage/DCIM/.thumbnails directory when the camera app is launched from WhatsApp?


Whether it's WhatsApp or another app, as long as they have permissions to your storage and/or camera, you can't prevent it. I think MediaStorage will re-create them any way if not immediately at least during the next reboot or next time you use the camera.