Pha was born in 1924. Pha's father was Thụ and her mother was Ngọ Nguyễn. Her paternal grandparents were Huyên and Ruẩn Trần. She had two brothers and a sister, named Viện, Phác and Trừu. She had three half-brothers and a half-sister, named Phan, Chân, Trạch and Hốt.