Who is Mae-noi Thong-oon, and why does this outlet exist?
An independent economics newsroom with a regional mandate and a plain-language commitment.
Built in the northeast, for the northeast
Mae-noi Thong-oon was established in 2019 by a group of journalists and researchers who had spent years covering national economics for Bangkok-based outlets and noticed a persistent blind spot: the northeast of Thailand — Isan, home to the country's largest regional population — was almost never the frame through which economic developments were analyzed, only an afterthought in provincial breakdowns. The outlet is named after its founding editor, who spent twelve years at a national business daily before relocating to Khon Kaen to raise a family and found this newsroom. Since launch, Mae-noi Thong-oon has published more than 340 original articles, produced three data-driven annual reports on the Isan economy, and been cited by researchers at Khon Kaen University, Mahasarakham University, and Ubon Ratchathani University. The newsroom operates with a small editorial team — currently five full-time staff and a network of eight regional correspondents across the northeast provinces. Every correspondent lives in the area they cover; no story is filed from Bangkok on the assumption that what is true in the capital is true in Roi Et. The editorial design — warm rose tones, generous white space, a deliberately unhurried reading experience — reflects a conscious decision that good economics journalism should feel inviting, not institutional.
How we work — and what we will not do
Every article published by Mae-noi Thong-oon goes through a two-stage editorial process: the reporter submits a draft with all primary sources linked or cited, a second editor checks the data and the causal logic, and only then does the piece go to layout. We do not publish opinion pieces, investment commentary, or market predictions of any kind. We report what the data shows, explain the mechanisms behind it, and describe the human consequences — that is the full scope of our mandate. We do not offer investment advice, trading recommendations, or any forward-looking guidance on asset prices. We cover policy as reporters, not as advocates: we describe what a government program is designed to do and what the evidence suggests it has done, without endorsing or opposing it. Our revenue comes entirely from a small number of institutional readers — universities, development organizations, and regional chambers of commerce — who hold annual access agreements. We accept no advertising from financial institutions, commodity traders, or political organizations. Readers should be aware that economic outcomes depend on many variables outside any newsroom's analysis: weather, global commodity cycles, central-bank decisions made with information unavailable to the public. Our reporting informs; it does not predict, and it should not be used as the basis for financial decisions.
“I have referenced Mae-noi Thong-oon's annual Isan economy report in two peer-reviewed papers. The sourcing discipline and the transparency about methodology are genuinely comparable to academic standards — something I cannot say about most regional journalism I have read in Thailand.”
Dr. Sunisa K., development economist, Mahasarakham University
Reach the editorial team
We are reachable Monday through Friday, 09:00 to 17:00.
44-9 Asadang Road Salchaophorsua, Bangkok 10200, ThailandEmail: info@mintqecho.digital
Phone: +66 2 234 5678 Send us a message