Couple who set record for longest kiss in 2013 have now separated

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A Thai couple who had set the Guinness World Record for the longest kiss in 2013 have now separated.

Ekkachai and Laksana Tiranarat kissed continuously for 58 hours and 35 minutes, breaking their own 2011 record in 2013. Their first record in 2011 was a 46-hour and 24-minute kiss.

However, 56-year-old Mr Ekkachai has now confirmed that they have separated.

Mr Ekkachai told BBC News World Service podcast Witness History that he was “trying to cherish the good memories” and that he is “very proud" of their Guinness World Record.

The record-breaking kiss took place at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! event at Pattaya in Thailand, starting on 12 February 2013 and ending on Valentine’s Day.

He added: “I am very proud. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We spent a long time together, and I’m trying to cherish the good memories of what we achieved together.”

The couple didn’t share many details about their separation. Despite parting ways, Ekkachai said that they have respect for each other.

During the podcast, which was aired on 17 February, Mr Ekkachai recalled the Guinness competition’s gruelling rules, including staying locked in a kiss even during bathroom breaks and transferring water mouth-to-mouth.

“I was stunned by all the rules, but we decided the show must go on, we must commit. That’s the decision we had made,” he said.

In 2011, when they won, he said: “My family and friends congratulated me. They were happy for me. In response, I told them, only crazy people would accomplish something like that. A normal person wouldn’t try it.”

In 2013, they were hesitant to compete. Ms Laksana, who was aged 33 at the time, had just recovered from an illness, and Mr Ekkachai had planned a trip for her instead. However, the lure of a 50,000 Thai Baht prize and a diamond ring convinced them to try again.

They had attempted to get their title back in 2012 also but at the time, they lost to another couple as Ekkschai had fallen ill.

“After we lost in 2012 we discussed whether to go back, but we decided we wanted to win back our record. It was our Roman Empire. We wanted to take back what belonged to us,” he said during the podcast.

He said: “We tried to stand straight like statues. Instead of pinching (to stay awake) we were tapping each other on the head with one hand and on the other hand, we were hugging each other to keep each other awake.”

They had to beat the record of 50 hours and 25 minutes. And the prize money was two diamond rings and 100,000 Thai baht (around $3,000).

When finally they won, Mr Ekkachai recalled that he was so tired that “I didn't want to stand up anymore. I wanted to drink water. I just wanted to rest and drink.”

In 2013, after 15 years, Guinness World Records deactivated the longest kiss category, saying it had become too dangerous and some of the rules conflicted with their current updated policies. Guinness World Record said in a statement on their website at the time: “Although we no longer monitor the longest kiss record, we have replaced it with something else: the longest kissing marathon.

“The crucial difference, as with all our ‘longest marathon’ records, is that challengers are permitted rest breaks. After every continuous hour of kissing, challengers earn five minutes of rest, which can be accumulated if not used.

“Challengers are allowed to sleep, eat, and separate their lips during these rest breaks, mitigating the risk of passing out, suffering psychosis, or requiring resuscitation.”

Several kissing contest participants have suffered health issues over the years. In 1999, record holders Karmit Tzubera and Dror Orpaz nearly fainted after kissing for 30 hours and had to be hospitalised.

In 2004, Andrea Sarti required oxygen after enduring muscle cramps during a 31-hour kiss. In 2011, a contestant passed out just 30 minutes into the challenge.

Mr Ekkachai and 45-year-old Laksana are still the final holders of this record before it was deactivated.