Richard Doner, a political science professor at Emory University in Atlanta, spoke about the economic issues in Southeast Asia on Friday at the Campus Life Building.

The lecture was the last in a series organized by the Center for Southeast Asian Studies.

Doner spoke about the challenge of economic upgrading in Thailand – specifically in the sugar industry, which is Thailand’s principle export.

“Today, Thailand is the Detroit of Southeast Asia,” Doner said. “I would argue that [it] has grown into trouble.”

Doner said that a nation’s institutions are the key factors to its economy.

Thailand’s basic institutions worked to get the industry going in its initial stages, and today it’s the third largest exporter of sugar, Doner said.

But an industry boom led to overcrowding. Improving the quality of the sugar failed and prices were raised, Doner said.

Thailand has run out of new land frontier and its new competitors threaten its position, Doner went on. Efficient growing methods, increased irrigation and better strains of cane are required, Doner said.

The sugar industry is on the verge of collapse because the ministry of agriculture and state institutions have not faced up to the challenge, he added.

The lecture concluded with a question and answer session open to the audience of about 40 people.

Peter Ross, editor of a publication for the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, thought that the lecture was one-sided.

“He talked about the sugar industry being successful and did not take into account that sugar cane workers receive low wages and their quality of life is poor,” Ross said.

Chandra Mahakanjana, a political science graduate student, thought the lecture was great.

“It presented the theoretical model really well,” Mahakanjana said.