<p>A determined Thai couple locked lips for 46 hours, 24 minutes and nine seconds to celebrate Valentine's Day in this southern beach resort town, emerging victorious and exhausted after a landmark "kissathon" that organizers claim marked the longest recorded smooch in history.<br /><br />The previous record of just over 32 hours was set in 2009 by a couple in Germany, according to Guinness World Records, whose officials will have to verify the latest milestone for it to become official.<br /><br />14 mostly Thai pairs entered the contest when it kicked off Sunday morning at 6 a.m. local time.<br /><br />By yesterday afternoon half had already beaten the record and were still puckering up on the white-marble corridor an ocean side shopping mall in Pattaya.<br /><br />Passing tourists gawked and smiled at the spectacle, snapping pictures with glowing mobile phones behind a red rope.<br /><br />"We didn't think we would find anybody that could break the record," said Somporn Naksuetrong, the manager of Pattaya's Louis Tussaud's Waxworks museum, which organised the competition.<br /><br />That seven couples apparently did, he said, "is amazing."<br /><br />The winner was announced before dawn today: a Thai couple from Bangkok named Ekkachai and Laksana Tiranarat.<br /><br />The pair won a diamond ring worth 50,000 Thai Baht (1,606 USD), and a 100,000 Baht (3,213 USD ) cash prize.<br /><br />According to the rules, the lovebirds' lips could not part at any time.<br /><br />They were allowed to drink water, coffee, milk or juice - but only through straws while continuing to kiss.<br /><br />They also had to remain embraced during bathroom breaks possible every three hours - accompanied by contest monitors.</p>.<p>The harshest rule: no sitting or sleeping.<br /><br />One woman participating with her boyfriend fainted just half an hour after it began Sunday.<br /><br />Despite its reputation for having one of the biggest sex industries in the world, Thailand is still a conservative nation where kissing in public - even a small peck - is frowned upon.<br /><br />Participants had to show proof they were either married or truly a couple - a letter from both parents or a marriage certificate was acceptable.<br /><br />The official record for the longest kiss was clocked at 32 hours, 7 minutes and 14 seconds long by Nikola Matovic and Kristina Reinhart in Germany in February 2009, according to Guinness. </p>
<p>A determined Thai couple locked lips for 46 hours, 24 minutes and nine seconds to celebrate Valentine's Day in this southern beach resort town, emerging victorious and exhausted after a landmark "kissathon" that organizers claim marked the longest recorded smooch in history.<br /><br />The previous record of just over 32 hours was set in 2009 by a couple in Germany, according to Guinness World Records, whose officials will have to verify the latest milestone for it to become official.<br /><br />14 mostly Thai pairs entered the contest when it kicked off Sunday morning at 6 a.m. local time.<br /><br />By yesterday afternoon half had already beaten the record and were still puckering up on the white-marble corridor an ocean side shopping mall in Pattaya.<br /><br />Passing tourists gawked and smiled at the spectacle, snapping pictures with glowing mobile phones behind a red rope.<br /><br />"We didn't think we would find anybody that could break the record," said Somporn Naksuetrong, the manager of Pattaya's Louis Tussaud's Waxworks museum, which organised the competition.<br /><br />That seven couples apparently did, he said, "is amazing."<br /><br />The winner was announced before dawn today: a Thai couple from Bangkok named Ekkachai and Laksana Tiranarat.<br /><br />The pair won a diamond ring worth 50,000 Thai Baht (1,606 USD), and a 100,000 Baht (3,213 USD ) cash prize.<br /><br />According to the rules, the lovebirds' lips could not part at any time.<br /><br />They were allowed to drink water, coffee, milk or juice - but only through straws while continuing to kiss.<br /><br />They also had to remain embraced during bathroom breaks possible every three hours - accompanied by contest monitors.</p>.<p>The harshest rule: no sitting or sleeping.<br /><br />One woman participating with her boyfriend fainted just half an hour after it began Sunday.<br /><br />Despite its reputation for having one of the biggest sex industries in the world, Thailand is still a conservative nation where kissing in public - even a small peck - is frowned upon.<br /><br />Participants had to show proof they were either married or truly a couple - a letter from both parents or a marriage certificate was acceptable.<br /><br />The official record for the longest kiss was clocked at 32 hours, 7 minutes and 14 seconds long by Nikola Matovic and Kristina Reinhart in Germany in February 2009, according to Guinness. </p>