Author: Asia Book of Records Team

Fishermen in the Mekong River in the Stung Treng region of Cambodia, set a record for catching the world’s largest freshwater fish. It was a 661-pound freshwater stingray that weighed approximately 300 kg (661 lb) and measured 3.98 m (13 ft) long (including tail) with a disc width of 2.2 m (7 ft 2 in), as confirmed on May 23, 2023.

Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia, Prey Veng and Prey Veng Provincial Administration, in Prey Veng Province, Cambodia, set a record for having the longest dragon boat. It was 87.3 m (286 ft 5 in) long with 179 oarsmen. The width across the boat at its mid-point measured 193 cm (6 ft 4 in) with a depth of 83 cm (2 ft 8 in). The weight of the boat was 12,102 kg (26,680 lb 5 oz), as confirmed on May 23, 2023.

Cambodia holds the record of having the maximum owner-occupant households in a country. According to the data available to the United Nations Human Settlement Programme, UN-Habitat, the country with the highest percentage of households occupied by the owners is Cambodia with 95.3% since 1998, and no country has broken it in almost 25 years, as confirmed on May 23, 2023.

King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia holds the record for serving in the highest number of state roles as a monarch. He was crowned King of Cambodia in 1941 but abdicated in 1955. From 1955 to 1993 he served in various capacities – Prime Minister, head of state and regent, head of the government-in-exile, president, president-in-exile, head of the government-in-exile, president of the National Council and head of state. He was restored as King in 1993, as confirmed on May 23, 2023.

Rotokas, an indigenous language of Papua New Guinea, has the shortest alphabet in the world with 12 letters and 11 sounds (two of the 12 letters share one sound). There are no nasal tones in Rotokas.  The numbers of native Rotokas speakers are in decline, as confirmed on May 23, 2023.

A group of boxers set a record for performing the largest Muay Thai ceremony in Prachuap Khiri Khan, Thailand. As many as 3,660 boxers performed a mass Muay Thai ceremony, a pre-fight dance showing respect to teachers, parents, and ancestors, as confirmed on May 22, 2023.

Boracay, located in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines, set a record for being the best beach in the world. It is the most popular Philippine Island, and is home to unbelievably gorgeous beaches. With its powdery white sand and super clear waters, Boracay’s 4-kilometer White Beach is claimed as one of the best beaches in the world, as confirmed on May 22, 2023.

Ali AlRawi of Iraq, set a record for making the largest wire art of the world. The work depicted the ancient Assyrian winged bull by wrapping copper wires around nails attached to wooden boards. It measured 203.76 m² (2193 ft² 36 in²), and took the artist a whole year to complete, as confirmed on May 22, 2023.

Putrajaya roundabout in Malaysia set a record for being the largest roundabout in Southeast Asia. It passes through famous landmarks – the Seri Perdana Complex (Prime Minister’s Office), Putra Mosque, and Istana Melawati. It is 3.5 km (2.7 miles) in diameter, as confirmed on May 22, 2023.

Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, set a record for being the world’s tallest twin towers. The 88-storey twin towers are a whopping 451.9-m (1,482-ft 7-in) in height, as confirmed on May 22, 2023.