Born in Saigon in 1961 to one of the most famous families in the history of Vietnamese popular music, Thai Thao is the 5th eldest out of eight children. At the age of 14, she along with both her parents, older sister Thai Hien and two younger siblings left Vietnam for the United States, while her four older brothers remained in Vietnam. They spent their first two years in the United States living in Florida before resettling permanently in Orange County, California during the summer of 1977.
With the arrivals to United States of her older brothers, Duy Minh, Duy Hung and Duy Cuong, from Vietnam and her eldest brother and then sister-in-law, Duy Quang and Julie Quang, from France, their family band known as The Dreamers were reformed in 1979 with an added new member, Thai Thao. During the early 1980s, at live performances with her family band Thai Thao began covering in both English and Vietnamese songs of music genres known as Euro New Wave and Italo Disco such as Leo Lên Xe Này (Jump in May Car), Hỡi Cô Bé (Hey Girl), Cầu Cứu Tình Yêu (S.O.S For Love) and Mắt Nâu Đen (Ebony Eyes), which were extremely popular with the younger Vietnamese audience at the time.
In 1985, at the age of 24 Thai Thao delved into her singing career full force. She began recording for various overseas Vietnamese music production labels such as Dạ Lan, Asia Entertainment, Thúy Anh and Dream Musical Productions, which was headed by her eldest brother, Duy Quang. Among her most popular recorded songs during this period included Tình Yêu (Con El Cha Cha), Đừng Nói Đã Quên (Don't Say You Don't Remember), Nàng Đã Ra Đi (Run Away) and Anh Và Em (You And Me). At a concert honoring her aunt, legendary Vietnamese singer Thai Thanh, simply entitled as Thái Thanh - Đêm Tái Ngộ held in Los Angeles, California sometime after she had just arrived to the United States from Vietnam in 1985, Thai Thao greatly impressed the live audience with her duet performance with her older sister, Thai Hien, of Khúc Hát Thanh Xuân written by her father, Pham Duy. This would mark the first time Thai Thao, who until then was known for her interpretations of songs originally written in English, was seen performing Vietnamese music at a large gathering.
During the 1980s, Thai Thao had become a headliner at many different Vietnamese nightclubs and cabarets in Orange County, California. In 1987, she along with singers Lilian and Tuyet Huong (formerly of the trio, Apple 3) were the three principal singers for the Trung Nghia band which headlined weekly at Club Rex in Santa Ana, California. Thai Thao stayed on as a weekly headliner when Club Rex was bought over by her brother, Duy Quang and his then wife, My Ha, renaming it to Đêm Đông Phương two years later. She also was a headliner at Diamond Nightclub, Queen Bee, Saigon Cabaret and finally, her longest tenure at the Majestic during the 1990s and 2000s.
Thai Thao has recorded several studio albums including a duet album with Thai Hien featuring a collection of Euro New Wave/ Italo Disco songs recorded in English and Vietnamese produced by Duy Quang and released by Thuy Anh, Người Trong Mơ (1987), and two solo albums for Dream Musical Productions, Tình Em (1991) and Rời Nhau (1993). She has appeared on music videos for Asia Entertainment, Khanh Ha Productions (headed by singer Khanh Ha), Van Son Entertainment and Thuy Nga Paris.
Married to fellow singer, Tuan Ngoc, since 1994, Thai Thao is the mother of two grown children, a son from a previous marriage and a daughter from her current marriage. In 2004, Thai Thao announced her retirement from the singing profession, but occasionally performs with her husband at his live shows upon requests from audience members.
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