Checking that a table exists on MySQL

Try this:

select case when (select count(*) from INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES where TABLE_NAME='offices') = 1 then 'exists' else 'does not exist' end

Try using the information_schema to ask if the table exists. Something like

SELECT 
  * 
FROM
  information_schema 
WHERE TABLE_NAME = "$table_array" 

Take a look through everything the information_schema holds, you will be pleasantly surprised by the information it has stored about your databases :)

if(mysql_num_rows(mysql_query("SHOW TABLES LIKE '".$table."'"))==1) 
    echo "Table exists";
else echo "Table does not exist";

ref: check if MySQL table exists or not