The Thai couple, Ekkachai and Laksana Tiranarat, who worn the Guinness Book of Records for the longest kiss of 58 hours and 35 minutes in February 2013, have separated.
Speaking on the BBC Sounds podcast, Witness History, which aired recently, Ekkachai in a BBC podcast said their marriage was over.
“I am very proud. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,
“We spent a long time together and I’m trying to remember the good memories and that we did this together,” he told host, Megan Jones, on the podcast.
The couple had taken the record first in 2011 when they kissed for 46 hours and 24 minutes, to beat a 32 hours and seven minutes record.
Ekkachai said they initially didn’t sign up for the 2011 competition, which was set for a few days before Valentine’s Day, as Laksana had just recovered from a long illness but were attracted by the promised prize of 50,000 Thai Baht (approximately £1,200 at the time) and a diamond ring.
He said, “There were a lot of people there. There were around 14 couples competing and a lot of media hovering around them. I felt like I was going to faint, some of the spectators handed me an inhaler to support me along the way.”
The Thai said he was “stunned” by the rules for the world record attempt, which demanded that “lips must be touching at all times, the couple must be awake at all times, contestants must stand during the attempt and cannot be propped together by any aids, and that adult nappies, diapers or incontinence pads were banned.”
However, couples were permitted to use the toilet, adding that they were “required to remain kissing while doing so.”
He said many people couldn’t stand it and collapsed, and after 20 hours had passed, he was exhausted and could barely stand, but his wife said “we need to keep fighting”, so he carried on.
At the final stages, with two couples left, Ekkachai noticed their competitors had fallen asleep. “When their lips parted,” he knew they had won.
“Only crazy people would accomplish something like that. A normal person wouldn’t try it,” Ekkachai humorously recalled his response to family and friends who congratulated them.
Their record lasted to 2012, when two other compatriots, Nonthawat Charoenkaesornsin and Thanakorn Sitthiamthong, broke the record after kissing for 50 hours 25 minutes.
Ekkachai and Laksana in 2013 showed determination to reclaim their title which he described as their “Roman Empire,” with the new prize of 100,000 Thai Baht (around £2,350) and two diamond rings, so trained hard to “take back what belonged to us,” Ekkachai.
“We tried to stand straight like statues. Instead of pinching, we were tapping each other on the head with one hand and the other hand, we were hugging each other to keep awake,” he recalled.
“We learned from previous times. We didn’t worry too much and stayed relaxed. Some other couples were dancing when they were tired.
“During the final hours, the second-place couple raised their hands and gave up. I was happy, but it was overshadowed by how tired I was. I just wanted to rest and drink,” he added.
The Guinness World Record said they completed the kiss in 58 hours, 35 minutes and 58 seconds.
However, the GWR has deactivated the longest kiss category after their 2013 win, due to safety concerns and changes in their policies, leaving Ekkachai and Laksana as the final holders of the record.
