He played a crucial role as Minister of Information, which helped lead the ouster of Bảo Đại in the 1955 referendum.

[2][3] Thành was born in Hanoi, Tonkin, French Indochina and raised in central Vietnam in the capital of Huế where his father Trần Đức served as a foreign language interpreter for the Emperor Khải Định.

However, he grew disenfranchised with the Viet Minh after witnessing them being more dedicated to Communism than Nationalism and committing heinous and cunning acts, he left.

[8] In early November 1963, a coup led by General Dương Văn Minh, resulted in the overthrow and assassination of Ngô Đình Diệm made Thành briefly withdraw from politics.

As a result, three days later, he committed suicide in his home by overdosing on medicine pills in protest of the Communist North Vietnamese victory and take over of South Vietnam.