JUST OVER a week ago, Phuket's local administrations gathered for the annual Thailand Local Administrative Sports Day, otherwise known as the Phuket Cup.

Although there are 18 elected local administrations as well as the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation, the games were a bit of a flop.

Nine of the local administrations did not attend, which made for an incomplete day out.

The no-show by nine administrations speaks volumes about the highly politicised nature of the island. And it also is a reflection of one of Phuket's largest problems.

For local governments, each of the 18 administrations has extraordinary power over what happens in their districts.

The games were set up in 2008 to build a relationship between the local government branches. That year, Rassada Municipality hosted the event. All 19 local administrative organisations came.

In 2009, Phuket City Municipality hosted the event. All 19 local administrative organisations came.

Last weekend, at Phuket City's Surakul Stadium, Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation hosted the event . . . . and nine organisations failed to front.

The nine who did not turn up are the Sakhu Subdistrict Administrative Organisation, the Thepkrasattri Subdistrict Administrative Organisation, the Paklok Subdistrict Administrative Organisation, the Chalong Subdistrict Administrative Organisation, the Srisunthorn Subdistrict Administrative Organisation, Cherngtalay Municipality, Rassada Municipality, Rawai Municipality and Karon Municipality.

They had their own separate games day at the Saphan Hin public park, on the other side of Phuket City to Surakul Stadium.

Observers this week have been pondering what this all means for the future of cooperative projects on Phuket.

Without the agreement of all local governments, various islandwide projects suffer in terms of the potential for successful implementation.

One local government, for example, can approve roadside billboards and collect the income, while another can ban them, for the benefit of Phuket's general aesthetic appeal.

One local government can allow a restaurant to occupy a public beach, and collect money for that, too. Local governments can also turn their backs and ignore illegally processes of all kinds.

The Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation, Phuket's largest elected body, pays for the lifeguard service. But only with the agreement of the local governments at the beaches can they put up warning signs and request the help of local resorts.

The present system may be democratic, but too much power at the local levels in Phuket undermines the potential for cohesive strategies.

As an appointed administrator, the Governor of Phuket can only seek to influence the elected local governments to come on board on some issues by building relationships and winning hearts and minds.

Phuket's garbage, for example, all finishes up at the Saphan Hin incinerator and land dump. But it is collected by 18 different ''councils,'' making co-ordination on such ideas as reducing and recycling rubbish extremely difficult.

Whether Phuket eventually becomes a holiday island destination that residents can be proud of really depends on whether the 18 individual units that make up the patchwork of local government can be stitched together.

Some people even say it's time they were merged into one body for the whole of Phuket, perhaps under the current Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation, headed by chief executive Paiboon Upatising.

Meanwhile, people will continue to play their games in different ways. Yet with fewer players, all Phuket residents could actually be winners.