Understanding, giving, and responding to compliments is an important part of becoming fluent in a foreign language and culture. Even for advanced learners, it can be a challenge to learn the pragmatic aspects of a second language and culture without some help. This is especially true when there is a significant culture gap, as can be found between Asian and Western languages. This study focused on a class of 39 second year Thai undergraduate college students studying English as a foreign language. They were asked to respond in writing to a set of compliments in English. After a series of lectures and exercises, supported by handouts, they were given the same test again. These pretest and posttest responses were compared with the responses of 39 native English speakers in the U.S., who had been given the same test. The results showed surprising similarities and differences, including new response categories indicating cultural transfer. This paper seeks to explain these phenomena, the reasons for them, and pedagogical implications.