Ek and
Laksana Tiranarat locked lips for 46 hours, 24 minutes and nine seconds to
celebrate Valentine’s Day and unofficially earn a place in the Guinness Book
of World Records.
Pratchaya Kerdthong
Love is never hard to find in Pattaya, but Cupid’s arrows
had an especially easy time finding targets as the city celebrated
Valentine’s Day with marriages, kissing contests, heart-shaped balloons,
flowers and even free condoms.
Valentine’s Day became wedding day for 18 couples that
filed marriage registrations at two Central Pattaya Plc. shopping malls.
British national Gary Howard, 52, and new bride Kwanruen
Laklaem, 32, were one of the lucky couples at Central Festival Pattaya Beach
to take their vows in front of Banglamung District officials. They also were
eligible to win gold and jewelry in a “In Love Festival” drawing.
Amnart Charoensri, Banglamung’s civil registration chief,
said 163 couples had filed marriage registrations to be dated and picked up
on the lover’s holiday. Couples also entered drawings to win gold jewelry
and stainless steel watches.
Thitikorn Makmanee and Ladda Makmanee received a necklace and a diamond
pendant valued at more than 20,000 THB as prizes in the drawing at Central
Center Pattaya at the “Valentine’s Love is all around” activity.
Two party-pooper couples, however, tried to file divorce
papers the same day but “we asked them to postpone their divorces until the
next day,” Amnart said.
At Central Center, Banglamung Permanent Secretary
Chartchai Sripho-orn oversaw the registrations of seven couples.
Decorated as a lavish wedding party, the mall also hosted
a lucky draw for a 20,000 baht diamond necklace and offered photos to the
newlyweds.
Not all the weddings were for people, however, as Central
Festival Pattaya Beach staged opened marriage registrations for dogs.
Sponsored by Jerhigh Dog Treats, the “In Love 2011”
exhibit was the scene of Pattaya’s first pet wedding.
Canine couples dressed in wedding gowns trotted to the
registration table to get pooch wedding permits. Meanwhile, shows by
eligible mutts delighted crowds who also got a chance to win gold necklaces
for their pups.
At Nong Nooch Tropical Garden, elephants took center
stage, serving as the platform on which several couples took their marriage
vows. Garden officials claimed elephants have the biggest hearts in the
animal kingdom and, thus, were perfect for Valentine’s Day.
Down the road at Royal Garden Plaza, 14 already-married
couples attempted to smooch their way to the world’s record for the longest
recorded kiss.
At the Louis Tussaud’s Wax Museum, Bangkok residents
Aekchai Tiranarat, 42 and Laksana Tiranarat, 31, puckered up for 46 hours,
24 minutes and 9 seconds, chewing past the previous record by nearly 13
hours. The couple won 150,000 baht in cash and jewelry.
Almost as common as kisses on Valentine’s Day were
parties, with hotels staging offerings for those in love, or looking for it.
At the Hard Rock Hotel, singles danced at the Hard Rock
Cafe to the Instinct Band and enjoyed food and beverage all night. Couples,
meanwhile, took advantage of a lover’s day party at the Diana Garden Resort
with games, music, photos and prizes.
Flowers, of course, were the most popular gift on Feb.
14. Shops large and small were decked out in red and pink with throngs of
people picking out flowers for their loved ones. A Pattaya flower vendor
named Ladda said she received orders of 1,500 flowers.
In Sattahip, it was more of the same, despite prices for
roses this year being deemed expensive at 15-20 baht each. As a result,
paper roses at 10 baht each also proved popular.
Pattaya’s Tourist Police, however, shunned flowers for
heart-shaped balloons they passed out on Walking Street, along with stern
warnings about sharing the romantic holiday with underage teens.
Tourist Police Chief Maj. Arun Prompan led officers and
volunteers in passing out the red balloons with child-abuse leaflets. He
said the aim was to prevent people celebrating the lovers’ holiday with
youths under age 18. He said hotels and guest houses must also be vigilant
to keep out and report minors.
And just to be sure those engaging in heated romance did so safely, the
Pattaya Floating Market passed out condoms to Valentine’s guests.
Couples
register their marriage certificates whilst riding elephants at Nong Nooch
Tropical Garden Pattaya.
