It seems like not a month goes by without Thailand being recognised on a global scale. Recently, Bangkok beat Paris and London as the most visited city in the world for 2018, for the fourth consecutive year, according to a MasterCard ranking. Thailand's capital hosted 22 million overnight travellers. In the midst of the flattering and not-so-flattering world titles Thailand has received, you may not be aware of the times we receive recognition for rather peculiar feats. If your curiosity is piqued, allow me to present the strange/cool world records in the Land of Smiles.
Longest lip locking
Thais aren't big on PDA so it's kind of strange that we broke the Guinness world record for longest continuous kiss, thrice. In 2011, Ekachai and Laksana Tinnarat locked lips overnight for 46 hours, 24 minutes and nine seconds in a kissing marathon held at Royal Garden Plaza Pattaya. They started on St Valentine's Day and broke the record around 4.30am the following day. The previous record was set by a German couple who smooched for 32 hours, seven minutes and 14 seconds in 2009. The Tinnarats were one of 13 couples who attempted to outkiss them and the very happy couple went home with prizes worth 200,000 baht. On the next St Valentine's Day, however, a new record was set by Nontawat Charoengaysornsin and Thanagorn Sittiamthong, who kissed for 50 hours, 25 minutes and one second in another kissing marathon held at the same venue. The gay couple and six other couples attempted to surpass the record set by the Tinnarats the previous year. They won a prize package of similar value and the Tinnarats even partook in the event to outkiss themselves but ended up with second place instead.
The gay couple and Tinnarats made another attempt at world record on 2013 Valentine's Day. The Tiranarats kissed for 58 hours, 35 minutes and 58 seconds, beating the gay couple by only two minutes. There's no truer sign of true love than sucking face with someone for over two days.
Photo: Yingyong Un-anongrak
Hug me and never let go
At the World's Longest Hugging Marathon held in Pattaya on St Valentine's Eve in 2014, 34 couples joined in an attempt to break a world record set by a British pair, who hugged for 25 hours, 22 minutes and 36 seconds in March 2013. Participating Thai couples were allowed a five-minute break for every hour they stood hugging. Eight couples threw in the towel before the rest made the new record for longest hugging at 26 hours, 26 minutes and 26 seconds. The nice thing about this feat was that the 26 couples divided the prize worth 300,000 baht among themselves. The gay couple who broke the world record for the longest kiss in 2012 were among the record-holding couples.
The world record of longest continuous hugging now belongs to Joe Snape and Will Jarvis who hugged for 36 hours, 36 minutes and 36 seconds between Jun 23-24, 2018, to raise money for a mental health charity.
Photo: Apichit Jinakul
The scorpion queen
No, this isn't a female reboot of The Scorpion King. It's a moniker rightfully given to Kanchana Ketkaew who set the Guinness World Record for the longest duration living with scorpions, twice. She already made a world record in 2002, spending time with 3,400 of her little friends for 32 days, but she outdid herself in January 2009 with 33 days with 5,000 poisonous scorpions. Both of her attempts were made a spectacle as she lived in a glass room with live scorpions for an extended period of time so people could witness her daring feat. During the second attempt, she got stung 13 times. It was painful for her, of course, but she claimed her body is immune to their poison after being stung many times before. She also made a world record for having a scorpion in the mouth for two minutes and three seconds. If just the thought of that makes you weak in the knees, we wouldn't blame you.
Photo: Reuters
Christmas Tree in Buddhist Country
Isn't it ironic that a Buddhist country would set a new world record for forming the largest human Christmas tree? Shouldn't we try to create a Bodhi tree instead? Apparently that doesn't stop 852 Thai students, between the ages of six and 15, to come together and shape themselves into a big Christmas tree, with a few ornaments at Siam Paragon on Nov 23, 2013. This record is short-lived though as it has been since surpassed. The current biggest human Christmas tree was created with 4,030 people in Chengannur, India in December 2015.
Photo: Patipat Janthong
Sticky situation
The Tourism Authority of Thailand organised the biggest mango sticky rice ahead of Chinese New Year in January this year, surpassing a previous record of 2,800kg set in Dubai in 2016. The world's biggest mango sticky rice is part of the government's "We Care About You" campaign to increase arrivals of tourists from China. They served 4,500kg of mango sticky rice, 1,500kg of which was rice and the rest was ripe mango. No report on the weight of coconut cream. It was served at a dinner for 10,000 Chinese tourists along with other popular Thai dishes at a lake in Muang Thong Thani.
The event was also criticised as an attempt to win back Chinese tourists after Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said something insensitive following a 2018 boat capsizing in Phuket that resulted in the death of 47 Chinese tourists. Basically, he placed the blame for the accident on the Chinese, who used Thai nominees to bring in Chinese tourists and didn't heed Thai safety regulations. Wouldn't you be angry, too?
Photos: Chanat Katanyu
Awesome feat
A tragedy gave birth to a world record for Thailand for having most veterinary surgeons involved in one operation. You see, on Aug 28, 1999, 30 veterinarians teamed up to save an elephant named Phang Motola (phang is a term for female elephant). She stepped on a landmine in Myanmar, leaving her left front leg badly injured. Many people from different walks of life went to the hospital to save her in this complicated and unprecedented mission. They even fashioned her operating bed and harness out of fire hoses. Motola was given so much anesthetic that it could put 70 people to sleep and the operation took place at the Elephant Hospital in Lampang. She was fitted with an artificial leg in 2000, becoming the second elephant in the world to receive such a treatment.
ํYou'll be glad to learn that the hospital organised a blessing ceremony on the 20th anniversary of the surgery in August. Garland and holy threads were placed on Motola, who's now 59 years old. She was sprinkled with holy water before enjoying a feast.
Photo by Tawatchai Kemgumnerd & photo courtesy of AP
Meow matrimony
How do you show love to your pet? A new chew toy for your canine? A new cat condo for your feline? How about organsing a lavish wedding ceremony for them and make it a world record, too?
Bride Ploy (ruby) and groom Phet (diamond) were married in the most expensive pet wedding in September 1996. They were meant to be as both had a rare degenerative eye condition that gave them a "diamond-eyed" appearance. Such a condition is considered lucky, bringing good fortune to the owners of such pets. That must be true because Wichan Jaratarcha, owner of Phet, and Ploy's unnamed owner who is Wichan's friend, paid 700,000 baht for the union ceremony of their cats.
According to AP, Wichan claimed that his business flourished after coming across Phet during a hunting trip along the border between Thailand and Myanmar. The impact of Phet on the growth of his business was such that he pledged to return to the same place to find another cat. That was when he met Ploy. Phet had diamond-eye in his right eye while Ploy had it in her left eye. Wichan's friend claimed Ploy had the same impact on him and paid 1.2 million baht to buy her from Wichan. After that, Wichan and his friend decided to wed their cats. Wichan paid a dowry of 1 million baht in cash and half a million in gold while the wedding presents were donated to animal charities. The two men agreed to divide Ploy and Phet's litter between them.
Photos: aparchive.com
