Of course. I often thank them publicly for their assistance when i ask(ed) for their help. When i started praising my colleagues i noticed two different changes.

I myself became more friendly and more sociable around my colleagues. Giving compliments feels nice. The other was that colleagues indeed became more friendly and respectful both towards me and each other. Meetings became more friendly. Getting help was easier.

I can't speak for the original commenter, but for me, it serves to remind me that I'm working with some very talented engineers, which feels good. Plus I think it helps to build trust, which is useful when you're not seeing eye-to-eye on some technical or product issues.