Meta pool Bangkok [Thailand] – January Report
Overview
In January, Build Buddies continued its regular community activities while also experimenting with a special edition event outside Bangkok. The focus for the month was on maintaining consistency in weekly meetups and exploring opportunities to expand the community into new locations.
Regular Build Buddies Meetups (Bangkok)
Throughout January, Build Buddies continued to host its regular meetups in Bangkok. These sessions focused on casual conversations, networking, and experience sharing among builders and community members.
The regular meetups helped:
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Maintain engagement with the core community
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Create a familiar and open space for ongoing conversations
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Keep Build Buddies active and visible on a weekly basis
While these meetups were smaller and informal, they played an important role in sustaining the community.
Special Activity: Build Buddies – Chiang Mai Edition
On 24 January 2026, Build Buddies hosted a Chiang Mai Special Edition, marking the first time the event was organized outside Bangkok.
The event was scheduled during a week that included two major blockchain-related events:
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Block Mountain
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ETH Chiang Mai (Bootcamp & Hackathon)
The goal was to meet new people, connect with participants from other events, and expand the Build Buddies network beyond Bangkok.
What Happened
Although the timing aligned with major events, both main events had limited promotion toward local audiences and little cross-promotion between each other. Many local participants were not aware that multiple events were happening in the same week, and even some Build Buddies attendees were unaware of the other events.
This limited overall awareness and reduced the potential reach of Build Buddies as a side event.
Positive Outcomes
Across January, several positive outcomes were achieved:
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Continued engagement with the Bangkok community through regular meetups
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New connections with people based in Chiang Mai, supporting long-term expansion
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A closer relationship with a Thai influencer who showed interest in supporting future activities
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First experiments with Build Buddies branding through physical materials such as tent cards and coupons
Challenges
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Attendance at the Chiang Mai edition was lower than expected
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Limited awareness and promotion from the surrounding ecosystem affected side event turnout
Key Learnings
January showed that while regular meetups are effective for maintaining a community, side events depend heavily on the strength and visibility of the broader ecosystem. Without strong local promotion or clear communication from main events, side events are likely to struggle, even with good timing.
Next Steps
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Continue regular meetups to maintain community consistency
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Be more selective and strategic when organizing special editions outside Bangkok
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Look for stronger alignment with main events that actively engage local audiences