He enjoys the company of academics and politicians. In July, when a coalition government was formed including politicians he is close to, dickering over Cabinet seats was conducted at houses Sondhi maintains around Bangkok for the use of his friends. Sondhi bristles at the frequent questions about sources of his funding. He insists that Asia Times and the Laos satellite are being largely financed from his own pocket, even though Manager Media Group PCL had losses last year. The things I'm doing now look very intangible.
Nobody understands it.
It is very difficult to get financing. Despite his stable of successful publications, Sondhi has a reputation for high-profile projects with very long odds. Sondhi is certainly making one with the launch of Asia Times. Whether he will make any money at it is another question. Paper prices have risen sharply in recent years, and the region is already well supplied with business publications.