Pham Van Doi was born in 1918 in the district of Tam Nong in Phu Tho. He held various commune- and district-level positions in the area of Tam Nong, such as in the people’s court (Hoi tham Toa an nhan dan huyen) and as the chairman of his commune’s administrative resistance committee (Uy ban Khang chien Hanh chinh xa).