Signs of Independence

The Roman script on the road signs in Laos and Cambodia (where they exist) reads "Rue", "Avenue" or "Quai". Thailand's signs just say "Thanon". It's a tiny but persistent reminder that while Siam may have waned and waxed, it has managed to maintain a subtle but unmistakeable independence from the prevailing Powers.
That's what genuine independence is like: quiet, understated and confident. Not brash and loud like what newly-independent nation-states tend to do.