Creepy Reasons Why Guinness World Records Doesn’t Allow People to Try World’s Longest Kiss Anymore

Guinness World Records has officially banned attempts to break the record for the world’s longest kiss, and the reason is just bizarre.

If you’re like us, your childhood Christmas Day probably included unwrapping the latest edition of the Guinness World Records book. Many of the records people achieve seem so wildly unique that it’s likely no one had even considered trying them before. That said, certain records are no longer featured in the annuals due to the potential health risks involved.

There’s a record that is not welcome anymore in the Guinness World Records, due to a disturbing reason.

There are records for a wide range of bizarre feats, from the number of Jaffa Cakes eaten in a minute to the world’s loudest burp. However, some challenges are no longer officially recognized.

And no, we’re not referring to feats like the highest skydive, the longest time holding your breath, or even the most time spent set on fire—we’re talking about the record for the longest kiss.

The Guinness team has stopped accepting attempts to set the record for the longest non-stop kiss for a truly unsettling reason, as contestants faced unexpected dangers.

The latest record came along with the most impressive numbers ever.

In 2013, Ekkachai and Laksana Tiranarat, a couple from Thailand, achieved an extraordinary milestone by setting the record for the longest kiss, lasting an astounding 58 hours and 35 minutes.

This remarkable accomplishment took place during a competition hosted by Ripley’s Believe It or Not! in Pattaya, Thailand.

Nine couples participated in the annual competition, including one elderly pair in their 70s. Unfortunately, they were forced to withdraw after just 1 hour and 38 minutes due to the husband’s inability to stand any longer.

By the time the previous record of 50 hours and 25 minutes—set a year earlier by two Thai men—was surpassed, only four couples remained in the running.

Ultimately, Ekkachai and Laksana, who had previously set the record in 2011, emerged victorious. Their dedication earned them the grand prize of 100,000 Thai Baht (approximately $3,300 or £2,131) and two diamond rings valued at another 100,000 Baht.

The challenge was governed by strict guidelines to ensure fairness and compliance.

Guinness World Records discontinued the kissing record category because the competition had become too hazardous, and some of the rules no longer aligned with their updated policies.

Here were the rules of the record, which all contestants were required to follow:

• The kiss must be continuous and the lips must be touching at all times. If the lips part, the couple are immediately disqualified.
• Contestants may consume liquids via a straw during the attempt, but again, the lips must not part.
• The couple must be awake at all times.
• The contestants must stand during the attempt and cannot be propped together by any aids.
• No rest breaks are allowed.
• Adult nappies/diapers or incontinence pads were forbidden.

Couples were allowed to use the toilet, however, they were peeing and pooping without detaching their lips. And, what is even more shocking, they were kept under the watchful eye of a referee to ensure there was no cheating.

The longest kiss came with severe health risks associated with extreme sleep deprivation.

Despite all the romance and spectacle of the very idea of an everlasting kiss, Guinness retired the category due to the health risks posed by extreme sleep deprivation. Contestants suffered dangerous side effects, associated with serious sleep deprivation, including hallucinations, muscle cramps, and even the need for medical intervention.

In 1999, record-winners Karmit Tzubera and Dror Orpaz nearly fainted after their 30-hour, 45-minute kiss. They were immediately rushed to the hospital, where they were treated for fatigue. Their prize for setting the new record was a trip around the world and $2,500 in cash.

In 2004, 37-year-old Andrea Sarti from Italy had to be resuscitated with oxygen after kissing his girlfriend, Anna Chen from Thailand, for 31 hours and 18 minutes. During the attempt, he suffered severe muscle cramps and relied on Anna to massage him to relieve the pain.

One woman, participating in a contest in 2011, passed out after just 30 minutes.

One couple shared how they endured all challenges of the contest.

A couple Mark and Roberta Griswold revealed their 29-hour kiss put them to the real test.

In her interview, Roberta said: "We didn’t practice at all. But the Detroit competition was what gave us the prep work for New York. I did everything I could to maximize our chances. In the run-up, I saw how long I could go without drinking water, or without using the bathroom.

“Mark and I taught skiing lessons together, and we thought about bringing our ski boots to New York because they’d prop us up. Ultimately I just wore some baggy Zumba pants, with a lot of pockets. I brought a camera, a piece of paper and a pen to help me communicate with the other kissers, and even some breath mints, just in case.”

Mark shared, “It honestly wasn’t so bad for the first 12 hours. I mean, certainly some boredom sets in. You are just standing there with your lips on someone else. But really, things only start to get bad when the sun sets, and fatigue sets in. The fatigue was worse than any other symptom.”

“You start semi-hallucinating. I remember staring at this picture on the wall of a motorcycle, and it looked like its wheels were turning to me. That’s when I knew I was hitting some strange new heights. I didn’t want too much attention on me. I was a little embarrassed about the whole thing. And Roberta reassured me that there wasn’t going to be a ton of people watching us kiss for hours on end.”

Now, there’s a more healthy and less harmful alternative for those who’d like to test the power of their kisses.

Although GWR longer monitor the longest kiss record, they now have replaced it with something else: the longest kissing marathon.

The key difference, as with all “longest marathon” records, is that challengers are allowed rest breaks. After each continuous hour of kissing, participants earn five minutes of rest, which can be accumulated if not used.

During these breaks, challengers are permitted to sleep, eat, and separate their lips, reducing the risks of passing out, experiencing psychosis, or needing resuscitation.

According to GWR, there is no current record holder for the longest kissing marathon. Could you be the first?

And, here’s a special case when two GWR contestants met together to show us how diverse and beautiful our world is. Take a chance to see the history-making event of how the world’s shortest woman met the world’s tallest woman and the one detail that went viral.