The purpose of this study is to compare patterns of participation and factors affecting level of participation of Thai males in domestic chores with their wives. The data are from the survey project entitled “A Study on the Status of Women and Fertility in Thailand” conducted in 1993 by the Institute of Population Studies, Chulalongkorn University. The sample comprises of 2,800 currently married women aged 15-44 years. The study reveals that a husband participates in domestic chores three times less than his wife. The level of male participation stays within that range in almost domestic chores except in child rearing and elderly care. The differences between male and female participation for these tasks are quite different. The results from cross-tabulations and Chi-square tests show that variables that are statistically significantly and in accordance with the hypotheses consist of age difference between wife and husband, duration of marriage, wife’s occupation, husband’s occupation, areas of residence, number of household members and educational differences. However, the variables which are statistically significant but do not support the hypotheses consist of having children of 13 years and over, age difference between wife and husband and husbands’ family background. As for wife’s attitude toward gender role, it is found to be in line with the hypothesis but carries no statistical significance. Results of the Multiple Classification Analysis indicate that the variables in the model explain a variation in husbands’ participation in domestic chores only five percent. When all other independent variables are controlled, the attribute of having children aged 13 years or over can best explain the variation. This is followed by duration of marriage, wife’s occupation, number of household members, educational differences and areas of residence, respectively.
