Swear off the buffet if there's a princess about

Foul-mouthed Hong Kongers beware. Thailand's Princess Somsawali was spotted in Admiralty yesterday, enjoying lunch at the Island Shangri-La's Summer Palace Restaurant and later strolling in Hong Kong Park.

The princess, wife of Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, is famous for two things: her tireless charity work for Aids and extreme adherence to manners.

A Frenchman learnt this the hard way on a Thai Airways flight a few years ago. In a row about the cabin lights (he wanted them on, her royal highness wanted them off), he made the gallic error of swearing, was promptly arrested and found himself in Bangkok facing 15 years in jail for insulting the royal family.

An international scandal was only averted after he made a written apology to the king himself. So if you are in the Island Shangri-La - where the princess is believed to be staying - in the next couple of days, please, no pushing at the buffet and do limit the swearing to Cantonese.