An Australian journalist, increasingly anxious over law suits brought against his Thai-based website by the Royal Thai Navy, has lodged an appeal with a provincial governor to try to persuade the navy to drop the charges.

Alan Morison, formerly an editor at The Age and editor of online news website Phuketwan, based in southern Thai resort island of Phuket, and journalist, Chutima Sidasathiam, face up to seven years' jail if convicted on charges of criminal defamation and breaches of the Computer Crimes Act.

The charges followed publication in July of a news story by the Reuters news agency of an investigation into allegations of Royal Thai Navy personal involvement in the trafficking of Myanmar Rohingya refugees whose vessels sail into Thai waters on their way to Malaysia.

Morison says the Royal Thai Navy immediately pressed charges against Phuketwan in July but only recently made them aware of the charges. Earlier this week the two were summoned for questioning by Thai police for three hours then allowed home.

On Wednesday Morison lodged a letter of appeal with the Phuket Governor Maitree Intrusud as the governor was preparing to meet with senior Thai Navy and Army personnel to discuss security.

"It's impossible for us to know with absolute certainty what might happen." Morison said.

"This whole action was brought to defend the reputation of the navy and in fact, if anything, the action itself has been extremely damaging for the navy and will continue to be damaging for the navy as long as (the action) exists," he said.

AAP