It was a nice evening in my hometown. We’re chilling out at some coffee shop. Within a few days, we’ll be flying off to Thailand for the first-ever WordCamp Asia.
The excitement was not for WordCamp. It’s for Thailand. I’m visiting there for the first time. I was dreaming of the greenest islands and sandy, serene beaches.
By that time, I’d gathered some knowledge from the internet. What to eat, where to go, these types of things.
At the airport, I was having some rest in a lounge and watching TV unintentionally. They were broadcasting some news about the Coronavirus spreading out of China.
Honestly, I’ve heard of this thing from the newspaper and I thought it’s a China-thing. That time at the airport, I felt sorry for China.
Fast forward to Thailand, February 2020. We landed safely and started roaming around because we came early to complete our tour before WordCamp.
And emails landed in all of our inboxes that say WordCamp Asia was canceled due to Covid-19. It was shocking and for the first time, I realized Coronavirus was maybe a China-thing, but it started rolling out all over the world.
WCAsia rescheduled. We planned, sponsored, and a lot happened
After some long days – lockdown, vaccination, and waiting – WordCamp Asia has been rescheduled for 17-19 February 2023.
We planned to join the event, but with a big team. Finally, 21 from our organization participated in the WordCamp.
This time we want to go big, so we sponsored the event. Eventually, we got a booth to decorate.
The plan was we’ll take t-shirts with us (the number is huge!) along with some stickers designed by our design team.
Where the event held
Icon Siam is one of the largest shopping malls in Bangkok. For WordCamp Asia, the selected venue was True Icon Hall which is situated at the top of the Icon Siam.
The shopping mall itself is a place to roam around for tourists. If your event is happening in such a great location, it’s just like the cherry on top. Truly we enjoyed the whole place a lot.
First time in contribution
WordPress is an open-source platform, meaning people contribute to it to grow. I’ve heard it and thought only developers can contribute.
Why did I think like that?
Developers from our office contributed to WordPress Core several times. So, it was a common thought that only developers can contribute.
Later, I came to know that there are opportunities for others as well. From marketing to translation, documentation to the community – there’s a lot to do.
WordPress is such a large platform which is built upon the contribution of many people from around the globe, in various categories.
- Core/Core Performance
- Themes
- Patterns
- Photos
- Accessibility
- CLI
- Design
- Documentation
- Training
- Support
- Meta
- Polyglots
- TV
- Hosting
- Test
- Mobile & Openverse
- Community and Marketing
Chatting and networking
I think this is the most amazing part of WordCamp. People from different countries came to participate in such a great event. And the pleasing thing is that everyone’s somehow connected with WordPress.
So you can talk to them without being worried about their background or niche or whatever that creates a barrier. Many people are popular faces on the internet – especially in the WordPress arena. Some people are not familiar but you know their company, and you easily identified them from there t-shirts!
Numbers
- 1,299 0f total attendees
- 3000 people joined the live stream
- 55 sessions were held
- 60 speakers delivered their speeches
Swags are something to be chilled out
I saw people rushing to the stalls and grabbing swags like they were missing out. Anyways, I first decided not to collect anything since I had to carry them back to my country.
But later, I thought I should collect something as souvenirs, as gifts for my colleagues, and of course as memories. Then, this happened (what you could see in the picture!)
Cheerful moments – in stalls, in events
The overall event was cheerful. Wherever you go, you’ll find welcoming people. All you had to do is say “hello” or “hello back.”
WordCamp actually starts before February 17th, with GoDaddy’s event thanks to their fantastic arrangement. Chao Phraya River is the closest river located in the heart of Bangkok. GoDaddy arranged the cruise party to cheer the WordCampians and get ready for the big event.
On the first day of WordCamp, there was an event in the evening which was arranged by WPEngine. Many WordPressians attended there, as well. Altogether, WordCamp wasn’t bounded only in Icon Siam, it was outdoor, as well.
Food
Across all three days, there were huge variations in foods – from morning snacks to lunch. And, of course, there was coffee all the time.
Not to mention that the coffee was not totally satisfying. As a coffee guy, I faced a hard time finding the right coffee for me. They served decaff, then I added it to milk which was cold and my coffee got cold.
So, I tried different ways to make the coffee perfect: but the struggles went in vain.
Other than coffee, the food was awesome. One or two items might be slightly unsatisfactory. But, overall, no complaints about the food. The famous sticky rice with mango is delicious.
After Party
The after-party was held at Lhong 1919 on Sunday, 19 February 2023. The venue is a historical place and was the perfect setting for this year’s theme of “Share your culture.”
Attendees were encouraged to wear clothing that represented their country or culture. And many people did.
The event featured various local finger-licking food stalls, soft drinks, and other refreshments to indulge in.
It was the perfect opportunity to hang out, chill, and dance with friends while enjoying the festivities of the after-party.
Thailand
That’s all about my WordCamp Asia experience. I also wanted to write some details about Thailand, but I decided to do that sometime later. Till then, take care.
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