How To Thank God

When we lived in Asia, one of the surprises was that when we gave someone a gift, that person might or might not say the words, "Thank you."  Since saying "Thank you" is such an automatic response in the western world, I was uncomfortable when I didn't hear those words of response.  Did the person not like the gift?  Did I choose the wrong time to give her the gift? Or was it wrapped in the wrong color of paper?