BANGKOK: Thailand’s military government on Sunday shelved plans to build a coal-fired power station in a popular beach region, a rare success for demonstrators in a country where the right to protest has been severely curbed.

Hundreds of protesters had gathered outside government offices in Bangkok since Friday to demonstrate against the junta’s decision to approve an 800-megawatt coal plant on the coast of Krabi, a southern region renowned for its tropical beaches and steep limestone hills.