I've had kratom from four different vendors, I believe. I've had probably around 15 different strains total. To answer your question, there are multiple factors that affect the overall potency of the product you're receiving. First, different vendors will have varying levels of quality across the board (I've gotten the same strain a couple times from different vendors and noticed changes in effects). Second, buying the same strain from the same vendor can be variable if you're buying from a different batch since last time. Third thing is the color of the leaf. I believe the leaf color refers to the age of the plant (white, green, then red in order of increasing age). The color is indicative of the alkaloid profile each strain has. As other people have said, whites tend to be more uplifting or provide a head high whereas reds are more sedating and analgesic with a more pronounced body high then greens tend to fall in the middle of that spectrum (however, the most stimulating strain I've ever had was a green!). The last thing that affects the effects you feel will be the location. In my experience, Thai has been one of the more subtle, almost underwhelming, strains and I'd personally recommend just the white. For red, bali and borneo are MUCH better than Thai based on personal experience (and this seems to be somewhat common for other people from what I've read while trying to choose a strain). I believe there are some communities where people are allowed to discuss vendors and that has been really helpful for me when trying to find a solid vendor with quality kratom.
You also said the price was a fraction of what you previously paid. Let me just remind you that, just like many other things, you get what you pay for. What I typically try to do to lower costs is buy in kilos. That drops the price per gram to just cents, which is dirt cheap, if you think about how long it'll last you. But that's why I try to do a lot of research beforehand because it'd suck to be stuck with weak strains for some months before reupping my stock.
What types of effects are you shooting for with kratom?
