Two different years during the 1990's I traveled around Russia with a Russian guide. My guide was a Russian head banger who loved Nirvana. He was from Omsk in the southern part of Russia. This was his first time to get out of his city and tour Russia. We mostly traveled by train and went exploring. These trips were so enjoyable partly because I was able to experience the wonderment and excitement of this young man in seeing his country for the first time. We met many people along the way. We were invited into homes where they fed us, offered us housing, and played the guitar for us. It seemed like everywhere we went, when the Russians discovered I was not Russian, offered us Vodka. In the famous underground subway system, people would get up from their seats and invite me to sit there. In the hotels we often got a knock on the door by a beautiful Russian women offering their services. I was invited into schools to speak about life in my country.
While walking down the famous Nevsky Prospect in St. Petersburg, a little old lady grabbed my arm and said something to me. I asked by guide what she said. My guide said she welcomes me to Russia. I asked my guide how she knew I was not Russian. He said because you are smiling. So when you see the Russians in Thailand that do not seem friendly, you have to remember that they have suffered through decades of stifling communism and just do not behave the way Western people do. Try to say hello to them, you just might be offered a shot of Vodka.