Beiruting News

Nine couples have broken the world record for the longest dance marathon in the seaside town of Pattaya, southeast of Thailand's capital, Bangkok.

The couples broke the record by dancing for 35 hours, one minute and one second, gaining a spot in the Guinness World Records. The previous record was set by a Mexican couple in 2008 who danced for 35 hours.

Thailand's dance marathon began on Friday with 10 couples, including one couple from Canada.

Only one pair left the competition before it ended Saturday.

Under the contest's rules, participants, wearing pink T-shirts and flowers in their hair, had to move their feet continuously in three dance rhythms - the waltz, cha-cha and rumba - until a change of song every few minutes, when they were given a 30-second break to stretch their limbs.

They were also given a five-minute break every hour to go to go to the toilet, said organizers.

Natsiya Noorak, 37, one of the winners, said there were times when she felt like giving up and took her frustration out on her dance partner. "There were times we fought with each other because of fatigue, but we made up and pushed through to the end," she said.

The world-record win, which took place at the Ripley's Believe it or Not! entertainment complex in the popular tourist town of Pattaya, came just in time for Valentine's Day, a popular Western import in tourist-friendly Thailand.

The winners will share a cash prize of 200,000 baht ($6,130) and were each awarded a certificate from the Guinness Book of World Records.