Thoughtful

Maybe yes, maybe no.

But thoughtful in this context means to be in thoughts, right?

So it would appear that he or she is thinking about something?

Now you are talking about how things appear. In your original post, you didn't talk about how things appear.

Consider these simpler examples.

Tom is sad.

Tom appears to be sad.

The m

Let me ask you a question.

If someone has an angry look on their face, does it mean that they are angry?

Clive

Yes. This is not the same "thoughtful" as in a thoughtful gift. It is more literally full of thought than the result of thought.