Thousands Spin To New Hula Hooping Record

More than 4,000 people in Thailand are celebrating after setting a new world record for the most people dancing with hula hoops simultaneously in one place.

Guinness World Records adjudicator Seyda Subasi-Gemici said 4,483 people swung hula hoops to dance music for seven minutes without interruption.

The event drew 5,000 potential hula-hoopers to an open air stadium at Thammasat University, but 517 contestants dropped out after they failed to keep their hoops up.

The challenge, which was organised by the Department of Health, was aimed at creating health awareness among Thais.

The previous world record was set in Taiwan in 2011, when 2,496 participants swung hula hoops in a continuous motion for two minutes.

Elsewhere in Thailand, nine couples locked lips in the hope of setting a new record for the world's longest kiss.

The participants must kiss for more than 50 hours, 25 minutes and one second to enter the Guinness World Records.

They were forbidden from sitting down and could only go to the bathroom after the first six hours.

"They have to continue kissing while they go to the toilet and can only drink water or milk through straws," said an event spokeswoman.

"They couldn't do this unless they love each other. The smell of their breath would probably be quite something."

The current holders are a male couple who returned to try to beat their own record set last year.

"I'm 100% confident that a couple will break the record," said Somporn Naksuetrong, the vice president of Ripley's Believe It Or Not! in the resort city of Pattaya which hosted the event.

The oldest entrants to take part were a 74-year-old man and a 72-year-old woman celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary, but the event proved too much for them.

"They quit after about one hour. It was the first time we had old people joining," Mr Naksuetrong said.