Tommy Boulanger, 15, dies from catastrophic brain injuries after a Chinese driver reverses into his path in Pattaya. Nearly seven months later, Wang Xian remains missing despite a court warrant as Tommy’s mother demands action from senior police.
A 15-year-old Thai-French boy died after a Chinese driver reversed a pickup into his motorcycle on a Pattaya road. Tommy Boulanger suffered catastrophic brain injuries and endured emergency surgery before dying seven days later. By then, Chinese driver Wang Xian had disappeared. Police reportedly pursued him to a nearby residence but failed to arrest him. A Pattaya court warrant and ฿100,000 reward have since failed to find him. Now, nearly seven months later, Tommy’s mother has brought her son’s photograph to Chonburi Provincial Police headquarters, demanding action. Her family has spent over ฿1.2 million, while Wang remains missing and the arrest warrant remains outstanding.
A 15-year-old Thai-French boy suffered catastrophic brain injuries after a Chinese driver reversed a pickup into his path in Pattaya. Tommy Boulanger was riding his black Honda PCX along Pattanakan Road in Nong Prue on February 20. At about 10 pm, he was heading towards a friend’s home. Nearby, a grey Toyota pickup began reversing from premises beside the road.
Chinese national Wang Xian was behind the wheel. According to Tommy’s family, the pickup suddenly moved into the roadway and blocked his path. Tommy was travelling straight along the road and could not stop in time. Seconds later, his motorcycle smashed into the pickup. The impact left the teenager with devastating head injuries.
Emergency workers rushed Tommy to Jomtien Hospital. There, doctors diagnosed severe brain trauma and determined that urgent surgery was required. However, the hospital reportedly lacked the specialist neurosurgical facilities needed for the operation. As a result, Tommy was transferred to Bangkok Pattaya Hospital.
Emergency brain surgery fails to save Thai-French teenager as medical costs soar beyond ฿1 million
Doctors subsequently performed emergency brain surgery costing approximately ฿800,000. In parallel, intensive care and further treatment rapidly pushed the family’s medical costs beyond ฿1 million. Despite the operation, Tommy remained critically ill. His 19-year-old half-sister, Kamolwan Kheerirak, later described the severity of his condition.
Doctors reportedly told the family that Tommy’s brain function had fallen to approximately 3%. Moreover, he remained unresponsive and depended upon a ventilator. With private medical bills climbing, his family eventually transferred him to a government hospital. Nevertheless, Tommy never recovered. He died on February 27, seven days after the collision.
By then, the Chinese driver involved in the crash had disappeared.
Nearly seven months later, Tommy’s mother has gone directly to senior Chonburi police seeking action. On Wednesday, Vipawee Saengchan, 41, carried a photograph of her dead son into Chonburi Provincial Police headquarters. Her Swedish husband accompanied her. Together, they sought answers over an arrest warrant that remains outstanding.
Vipawee wants to know why Wang has not been arrested over her son’s death. Separately, she asked provincial commanders to examine progress in the Nong Prue Police Station investigation. The family says its costs have now exceeded ฿1.2 million. Wang’s continued absence has also created problems with financial paperwork.
Mother takes fight to senior Chonburi police as Chinese driver remains missing despite court warrant
Some compensation or reimbursement documents reportedly require the other party’s signature. Yet the family cannot obtain Wang’s signature because he remains missing. Consequently, Vipawee has now taken the case above the local police station. She wants the existing court warrant executed after months without an arrest.
Vipawee and her Swedish husband were accompanied by Thamanan “King” Taegtim, better known as Ja King. He joined them as they presented their complaint at provincial headquarters. Notably, the intervention came almost seven months after the fatal collision. However, questions surrounding Wang began within hours of Tommy being struck.
According to earlier reports, Wang left the accident scene following the February 20 crash. Police subsequently traced the Chinese driver to a nearby residence. Significantly, video reportedly showed police motorcycle officers pursuing him into the property. Even so, Wang was not taken into custody.
Instead, the Chinese suspect disappeared.
CCTV footage also reportedly captured the collision and events immediately afterwards. Investigators therefore had footage relating to the circumstances surrounding the crash. Later, Nong Prue police sought an arrest warrant from Pattaya Provincial Court. Yet Wang remained beyond their reach.
Police obtain Pattaya court warrant after Chinese driver disappears following fatal February crash
The traffic case was formally recorded on March 2. The accusations concerned negligent driving resulting in property damage, injury and death. Additionally, earlier reports identified accusations connected with Wang’s reported departure from the scene. These included failing to stop, assist the injured person or report the accident.
Tommy had already died by then. Meanwhile, his family was dealing with another strand of the case. A Thai woman acting on Wang’s behalf reportedly contacted them while Tommy remained critically ill. Initially, she indicated that compensation would be provided.
The woman also visited the hospital during Tommy’s treatment. Accordingly, the family initially had contact with someone acting for the Chinese driver. That channel later collapsed. According to Kamolwan, the woman withdrew from a Line group established to discuss the case.
She reportedly said she was not directly involved. She also told the family that the parties concerned should deal with the matter themselves. After that, contact stopped. At the same time, Tommy’s medical condition was deteriorating rapidly.
His injuries had been devastating from the outset. He required specialist brain surgery shortly after the collision. However, even the emergency operation failed to reverse his critical neurological condition. Doctors reportedly assessed his remaining brain function at approximately 3%.
Tommy dies after seven-day fight for life as family turns attention to hunt for missing Chinese driver
Furthermore, Tommy remained unresponsive and required a ventilator. His family continued paying for intensive private medical treatment. The brain operation alone reportedly cost around ฿800,000. Beyond that, intensive care and further treatment pushed the bill above ฿1 million.
Eventually, the family transferred Tommy from private care to a government hospital. His condition did not improve. On February 27, seven days after the crash, the 15-year-old died.
Attention then shifted towards finding Wang and bringing him before the courts. By contrast, the Chinese driver’s whereabouts had become increasingly unclear. Police had reportedly traced him shortly after the crash. However, they had failed to arrest him.
By March 13, Tommy’s family took the case public. His half-sister Kamolwan appealed for police progress and information about the missing driver. At the same time, she detailed her younger brother’s final journey and hospital treatment. Crucially, she identified Tommy as Thai-French.
According to Kamolwan, Tommy was travelling towards a friend’s home when Wang’s pickup reversed into the roadway. The teenager had little time to react. Moments later, his Honda PCX struck the vehicle. The collision caused the massive brain injuries that killed him seven days later.
Mother offers ฿100,000 reward as family escalates search for Chinese driver wanted over Tommy’s death
On another front, the family was increasingly concerned about Wang’s whereabouts. By mid-March, Pattaya Provincial Court had issued the arrest warrant. Despite this, Wang remained missing. Tommy’s mother then offered a ฿100,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.
Reports also suggested Wang might have left Pattaya or Thailand. However, no confirmed Immigration record establishing his departure has been made public. Accordingly, his movements after the collision remain unconfirmed. Nor have police publicly established his current location.
Almost six months then passed after the family’s March appeal. Still, the warrant remained outstanding. On Wednesday, Vipawee escalated the matter. Rather than returning only to Nong Prue police, she approached Chonburi Provincial Police headquarters.
She arrived carrying Tommy’s photograph. Beside her stood her Swedish husband. In addition, Ja King accompanied the couple as they presented their complaint. They asked senior officers to examine the handling and progress of the investigation.
The family also sought accelerated action to locate Wang. Above all, they want the Pattaya Provincial Court warrant executed. The complaint additionally raised the financial consequences of Tommy’s treatment and death.
Family’s costs top ฿1.2 million as provincial police receive complaint over unexecuted arrest warrant
Vipawee said the family’s expenditure had now exceeded ฿1.2 million. Much of that money was spent during Tommy’s seven-day fight for life. His emergency brain surgery reportedly cost approximately ฿800,000. On top of that, intensive care and continuing treatment increased the total substantially.
The financial problems did not end with Tommy’s death. The family says some reimbursement or compensation paperwork remains incomplete. Specifically, the problem involves documents requiring the other party’s signature. Wang remains missing and therefore has not provided it.
As part of this, the family raised the paperwork problem with provincial police. His absence now affects both the outstanding criminal case and related financial documentation. Meanwhile, the court warrant remains unexecuted.
Pol Col Settha Maklon, an investigation superintendent with Chonburi Provincial Police, received the family’s complaint on Wednesday. He listened to their account and their request for action. In response, he said the matter would go before the Chonburi Provincial Police commander.
The commander will consider issuing instructions to accelerate the Nong Prue investigation. In particular, that could include further efforts to locate the wanted Chinese driver. The case has therefore reached provincial command after almost seven months without an arrest.
Police still cannot locate Chinese driver months after officers reportedly pursued him to a residence
Still, police made no announcement on Wednesday that Wang had been found. Likewise, they did not establish publicly whether he remains inside Thailand. No confirmed Immigration information has shown that he departed following the February collision.
That gap stretches back to the hours immediately after the crash. Earlier reports said police traced Wang to a nearby residence after he left the scene. More strikingly, video reportedly showed motorcycle officers pursuing him into the property. Yet they did not take him into custody.
Wang then vanished from the case.
Afterwards, investigators obtained the Pattaya Provincial Court warrant. Nonetheless, the warrant failed to bring him into police custody. His whereabouts have remained publicly unconfirmed since then.
The sequence began at approximately 10 pm on February 20. Tommy was riding along Pattanakan Road towards his friend’s home. At the same time, Wang was reversing the grey Toyota pickup from the premises beside the road. According to the family, the vehicle moved into Tommy’s path.
Within seconds, the Honda PCX struck the pickup. Tommy suffered catastrophic brain trauma. Emergency teams rushed him away for treatment. Wang, meanwhile, reportedly left the accident scene.
Chinese driver disappears as Tommy fights for life before fatal crash case moves to negligent driving
Police subsequently traced him to a nearby property. Yet officers did not arrest him there. Soon afterwards, Wang disappeared while Tommy remained critically ill in hospital.
Back at the hospital, doctors were fighting to save the teenager. Tommy was initially taken to Jomtien Hospital. His injuries, however, required specialist neurological treatment. He was therefore transferred to Bangkok Pattaya Hospital for emergency brain surgery.
His family then faced huge medical costs. The operation reportedly cost approximately ฿800,000. Furthermore, intensive care and additional treatment pushed the total above ฿1 million. Tommy’s neurological condition nevertheless remained grave.
Doctors reportedly found his brain function had fallen to around 3%. He remained unresponsive and dependent upon a ventilator. Ultimately, his family transferred him to a government hospital. Tommy died there on February 27.
His death changed the gravity of the police case. Investigators were no longer dealing only with a serious collision and injuries. The 15-year-old had died. Consequently, the case included negligent driving causing death.
At the same point, Wang remained missing. The Thai woman who initially contacted Tommy’s family on his behalf also withdrew from discussions. Thus, the family lost its direct channel to someone acting for the Chinese driver.
Family takes case to provincial command as court warrant remains outstanding and Wang’s location
Police then secured the arrest warrant. Months followed without Wang appearing before the courts. In March, the family consequently turned publicly to the media. Kamolwan described Tommy’s final days and called for progress.
Vipawee also put up the ฿100,000 reward. Even then, no arrest followed. Another six months passed before Wednesday’s move to provincial police headquarters.
The unresolved search now centres on Wang’s movements after the collision. To date, there is no publicly confirmed account showing where he went after the reported police pursuit. Equally, no confirmed Immigration record shows that he left Thailand.
Claims that he may have departed therefore remain unconfirmed. The established position is more direct. Police obtained a court warrant for Wang, but they have not executed it.
Wednesday’s intervention has now put the case before senior provincial officers. Pol Col Settha formally received the complaint. Following the meeting, he said it would be submitted to the provincial commander.
The commander will consider further instructions concerning the investigation. Those instructions could accelerate efforts to locate Wang. For now, however, no arrest has been announced.
Mother faces ฿1.2 million costs as missing driver’s signature blocks paperwork and warrant stays open
Meanwhile, Vipawee continues dealing with costs from her son’s final seven days. The family says its expenditure now exceeds ฿1.2 million. Additionally, it says some paperwork cannot be completed without Wang’s signature.
Her latest visit therefore brings together two unresolved parts of the case. Police have yet to execute the arrest warrant. At the same time, Wang’s absence continues affecting financial documentation linked to the crash.
Tommy was 15 years old and Thai-French. On February 20, he was riding towards a friend’s home in Nong Prue. According to his family, Wang’s Toyota pickup suddenly reversed into his path.
The collision inflicted devastating brain injuries. Tommy underwent emergency surgery and intensive care. Despite those efforts, he never recovered. Seven days later, he died.
Police warrant and ฿100,000 reward fail to find Chinese driver before family takes case to senior officers
By that stage, Wang had disappeared. Police subsequently secured a Pattaya Provincial Court warrant for his arrest. In March, Tommy’s family went public after the search failed to find the Chinese driver.
Then Vipawee offered ฿100,000 for information leading to his arrest. Six more months passed without Wang being taken into custody.
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On Wednesday, Tommy’s mother carried his photograph into Chonburi Provincial Police headquarters. Her Swedish husband walked in with her. This time, the family took its complaint directly to senior provincial police.
Nearly seven months have passed since Tommy’s fatal crash. Wang Xian has still not been arrested. The court warrant remains outstanding.
Now, Chonburi Provincial Police has put the case before its provincial command.
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