BUSINESS on Phuket is a bit like the patient in the recovery room. The nurse says: ''She looks so healthy and so beautiful.''

And the surgeon responds: ''Yes, but you should see what she looks like on the inside.''

Outwardly a picture of sunshine and holiday magic, inwardly facing some potentially unwanted and threatening complaints . . . that's Phuket.

In looking at business on the island this year, we found few positives. And even some of the positives turned sour.

One Australian swimming pool company, moving its factory to Phuket purely for tax and salary savings, failed to respond to our telephone calls and ignored our email messages.

Perhaps they were preoccupied, laying off Aussies and hiring Thais. Let's hope they learn something quickly about courtesy, or they will certainly struggle to succeed in Asia.

The attitude of that company is in direct contrast to this year's winner, a brand that responds to callers, even when they are prying journalists.

The Phuketwan Phuket Business of the Year is a brand so huge that it hardly needs the accolade: Marriott International.

Yet Marriott has shown faith in ''Greater Phuket'' by rapidly growing its brands to the point where we believe it now has more staff in the Andaman region than any other private employer.

The count of Marriott properties worldwide continues to tick over so fast that if we say there are 3150, later today there are bound to be 3160.

With the JW Marriott a fixture at Mai Khao for more than eight years, little happened for ages, apart from the addition of the Vacation Club. Since 2008 though, Marriott has opened Courtyards at Patong, Kamala and Surin, plus a splendid JW Marriott at Khao Lak.

As well there's the Marriott-connected Ritz-Carlton Reserve, which opened at Phulay Bay in Krabi earlier this month, the first of that particular designation in the world.

Another Reserve is coming eventually in Phang Nga, and on the island, a first Renaissance, with a turtle-shaped roof, will be opening in 2010.

Yet one more resort that we believe will eventually emerge as a Marriott lies behind green screening in Kamala, awaiting an improved economic climate the way most of us await high season sunshine.

That's a fair amount of fire-power for one brand, in one region. Marriott staff also work a five-day week, or are heading towards that standard.

The Marriott also plans to improve industry education in 2010 by liaising with Prince of Songhkla University to provide practical training and hospitality courses. We recommend the Aussie pool company signs up.