Longest Kiss: Thai Couple Sets World Record

The world’s longest kiss has been set by a Thai couple — their second time in three years — lip locked for exactly 58 hours, 35 minutes, and 58 seconds, or almost two and a half days.

The previous record? Oh, only 50 hours, 25 minutes, and 1 second.

Ekkachai and Laksana Tirnarat from Bangkok, Thailand finished a “kissathon” on Thursday, having set what officials are calling the world’s longest recorded kiss. The new record still has to be verified by Guinness World Records representatives, but they’ve won the contest before, so they know what they’re doing.

The couple, who won the annual contest in 2011, were rewarded with a $3,300 cash prize and two diamond rings to signify their accomplishment and their love for each other.

Fox News reported that the “kissathon” began on Tuesday with a small group of nine couples. Contestants were not permitted to sit, rest, or sleep. Kissing couples had to eat and drink through straws, and, if a bathroom break was required, contestants had to go together without breaking the kiss.

Sompron Naksuetrong, VP of event organizer Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, told AFP, “They were very exhausted because they did not sleep for two-and-a-half days, they had to stand all the time so they were very weak.”

On an even sweeter note, the oldest couple to sign up was a 74-year-old man and his 72-year-old wife celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this Valentine’s Day.

“They quit after about one hour. It was the first time we had old people joining,” Naksuetrong said.

Two Thai men set the record last year at approximately 50 1/2 hours but unfortunately were unable to maintain the longest kiss this year, collapsing only two minutes before the winners.