Travelling on trains is the preferable way to travel
After getting the overnight train from Chiang Mai to Bangkok the night before (eating the resultsof our cooking course on the way!), we had the afternoon in Bangkok before taking another long train journey South to Chumphon.
We arrived pretty late but still in time to meet our land lady for the evening who also kindly sorted out our ferry tickets for the following morning to Koh Tao.