Can someone explain the difference between เอาแต่ใจตัวเอง and เห็นแก่ตัว?

I have some vague feeling for the difference, but it is not very clear to me. 

The difference looks subtle. I would translate that as self interested (full of himself, egotistical) vs selfish.

39 minutes ago, ozimoron said:

The difference looks subtle. I would translate that as self interested (full of himself, egotistical) vs selfish.

That's my feeling, too.

Thais insist it's 2 different things but they have a hard time to explain it.

เห็นแก่ตัว seems to mean selfish.

เอาแต่ใจตัวเอง, i don't understand very well.

The way i understand it is เอาแต่ใจตัวเอง is more like just doing what you want and not compromising (My way or the highway?). For example, always going to the restaurant that you want instead of maybe letting your friend pick since you picked last time.

เห็นแก่ตัว is covered pretty well by selfish I think. Has a more self-interest and maybe financial, etc. component to it. 

 

Someone may be able to chime in and correct me here, but I think this example might work: He is เอาแต่ใจตัวเอง because he and his friends will do what he wants or he isn't gonna go, but he is not เห็นแก่ตัว because he is very generous and always pays for his friends and donates lots of money.

 

Perhaps "self-centred" for เอาแต่ใจตัวเอง?